Escaflowne: The Draconians Blood :Revise 2:
by DeDeKitty
Summary: Three years after the great war and the end of Zaibach, Hitomi is swept away to Gaea again. With old friends and new, she sets off on a new mission to help save the magical world of Gaea once again.
1. Author's Note: Introduction

**Author's Note**

Escaflowne: The Draconians Blood (Revised 2)

Yep, I've gotten off my lazy rear and finally got to work on this story yet again. Not only is the revised version have more content, I'm adding chapters and more character interaction to develop the cast more and their relationships with each other. I plan to add more fighting and action, and polish up the story that was already written. This is the second time I've revised the story, but the first time I merely edited content I already had, this time I've been adding all new content and am organizing the chapters to make them more easily read.

And yes, this fiction does have an ending! I am decided on it, and just need to get it in text to post it here for you to ready. This fiction will end with Chapter 39 rather then 26 as I had planned, chapter 40 will be an epilogue to wrap up any loose ends. There wont be any squeals to this story once it's finished as I don't think one would be needed.

I have once again tried to edit in details I missed before that will make this story more true to the world of Escaflowne, including names of countries and other places, Guymelefs, and just other relevant terms. I am not saying it'll be perfect, but I did try to make it better. I don't know everything; I didn't create Escaflowne after all. So a lot will have to come out of my own imagination.

And on that note, instead of posting it with every chapter, I will state it here and now: I do not own 'The Vision of Escaflowne' or 'Escaflowne' as it was dubbed in English, nor the characters from it. Though I do own the original characters I myself designed and gave life to. Though I don't think you can really own them… or if they'd care to be owned… Rashel would probably sock me in the nose if I told her she was my property, and I don't want to start to think of what Flora would do to me.

Anyway, that's about it. Thank you for your time in reading this and my story, and thank you doubly to those of you who take the extra time to review.

DeDeKitty93 (UserID: 293983)


	2. 01 Return

**Return**

* * *

Three years… It has been three years since she had left the strange world where dragons and animal people weren't just things found in fairy tales... Three years since she left behind the young king whom she had grown to love. It was like wondrous dream, and in some cases, nightmare, that she would keep in her heart always… 

Kanzaki Hitomi was now eighteen years old and fresh out of high school. She had taken her college entrance exams and now as she waited for the results, she had to figure out what she wanted to study in as a career. Her grandmother had always told her that her heart would lead her on the right path, if she stopped to listen… But whenever she tried to, her mind would always wander off back to the past and remember a pair of intense yet sensitive brown eyes under a mop of messy black hair.

_"Hitomi, in times when you need to make hard decisions, your heart is your best council. The decisions you make can be the best thing you've ever done, or the worst, but if you let your heart decide, you will never go astray," _her grandmother had told her.

"I wish it really were that easy, grandmother…" Hitomi sighed. Hitomi had changed a bit in the three years since she left Gaea. She had grown out her dusty blond hair to a little past shoulder length and had gained her more womanly curves. What hadn't changed was her dreamy green eyes and ability to tell people's fortunes.

"Hitomi?" a soft voice called from the hall. Snapped from her daydreams and ponderings, Hitomi turned away from gazing out her bedroom window and looked up as her bedroom door slid open and her mother stepped in.

"Hmm? Yes?" Hitomi looked up at her mother as the older woman gave her a searching look.

"Hitomi… is something bothering you? You've been very distracted lately, and I keep finding you zoned out and in your own little world," Mrs. Kanzaki frowned at her daughter.

"I'm fine, just have a lot on my mind, with the entrance exams and all," Hitomi supplied as a logical excuse. If she told her mother that she had been dreaming about a young king of a country called Fanelia, which wouldn't be found on any map, at least none of Earth, her mother might think she was letting her imagination get too wild, else the stress of the exams were making her break down. Either way her mother wouldn't believe her in any case; she didn't when Hitomi had told her all about it when she first got back from Gaea. She had listened politely enough, but she seemed to think Hitomi was just dreaming. "Did you need something, mom?"

"I've been calling for you, when you didn't answer me I came to see why. Yukari's on the phone for you," Mrs. Kanzaki still regarded her daughter with a concerned gaze.

Hitomi stood up, "Oh! I best go see what she wants then!" Hitomi fled her room and her mother's gaze; it bothered her when her mother looked at her like that. Once in the living room she picked up the phone receiver where it sat on the table next to the phone base and put it to her ear. "Hello, Yukari-chan? What? Really? Yeah sure I'll met you there in… ten minutes? Alright!" Hitomi hung up the phone and went to get her purse.

* * *

"Yukari! Amano!" Hitomi found them waiting in the subway station. Uchida Yukari and Susumu Amano turned and waved as Hitomi approached. Hitomi had run all the way to the station with only pauses to wait at crosswalks, so now she stopped to catch her breath. 

"Gee, Hitomi, kept us waiting long enough," Yukari grinned as she teased her long time best friend. Yukari wore her red hair longer now, pinned back with a clip. She was going to work towards a career as an agent and manager for idols. At least that was what she had told Hitomi yesterday, but sometimes it was hard to tell with her energetic friend, she might very well change her mind tomorrow or half way though college.

"It is good to see you again, Hitomi," Amano gave her a smile. Amano was as handsome as ever, although he had cut his mossy brown hair since she last saw him. He used to be her high school crush before her adventures in Gaea and he moved abroad. But now looking at him… whatever she had felt for him before was long gone. She had expected as much before she even saw him again.

Yukari was another story, if the way she was looking at Amano was any indication of her feelings for their sempai. "Amano! It's been so long! I haven't seen you since you moved away," Hitomi smiled at her track team sempai in return. "How long are you visiting?" Yukari had been keeping in touch with Amano though emails, so Hitomi new that he was attending a university abroad.

Amano nodded, "A couple of weeks. I'm on break and thought I'd come visit family and friends with my parents. Yukari insisted we get together for a day while I was in town. She can be quite persistent and persuasive."

"Hey! It's not like I broke your legs and dragged you here," Yukari protested good-naturedly. As Hitomi watched them, she half wondered if they remembered anything at all about what happened. Things had been strange with how she went to Gaea. Both times Amano and Yukari had been there, but if they remembered anything they never mentioned it.

Hitomi smiled, "Lets get something to eat and you can tell us all about school and your life over seas."

Amano nodded, "Only if you tell me all about the team after I left. I hear from Yukari you won a few meets while I was away..." The three of them went to catch the train.

* * *

Hitomi had spent a couple of hours with Yukari and Amano, but then she made up an excuse to head home; she wanted to give Yukari a chance to be alone with Amano. She walked into her families' home, pausing just inside the door to slip off her shoes and set them aside. 

"Hitomi?" Mrs. Kanzaki called to see if it was indeed her daughter.

"Yeah I'm home!" Hitomi called back as she headed toward her room.

"Your father called. They're going to late getting back from your brother's tournament, so they are just going to stay at a hotel and be back in the morning," Her mother explained. "So it'll be just the two of us this evening. Have you eaten?"

"Yeah I grabbed something with Yukari and Amano. I'm going to take a shower and finish some of those school forums," Hitomi called back as she slid her door open and went into her room. After getting out fresh clothes and laying them on the bed, she changed into her bathrobe and headed out of her room and into the family bath.

"Hitomi, when you're done in there, do you want any help with your paperwork?" Mrs. Kanzaki called though the bath room door.

"No mom, I am almost finished with them, I just need to…" Hitomi froze her eyes going wide as suddenly the bath room spun around her and she was suddenly in a totally different place.

* * *

"What… where…" Hitomi looked around, she stood on bare dirt without a single blade of grass or any other plant life, and the sky above her was black without any sign of moon or stars. 

"Could this… be a vision…?" She had them upon occasion, but since she returned to Earth they were much more rare and no were near as lucid or vivid as they had been when she was on Gaea.

Turning she found herself staring into a pair of bright violet eyes. She couldn't see the thing the eyes belonged to, but they glowed with their own light. Despite the eerie and unnatural nature of these eyes, Hitomi found herself drawn into them. Something lay deeply inside of them; a deep pain, understanding, and resolve. The violet eyes then seemed to turn their gaze to the side and following them she found herself looking at a lot more eyes; all different colors, but these were full of menace and wildness; revenge and wrath.

Hitomi gasped as something in the darkness drew closer and jaws seemed to reach for her to gobbler her up in one bite. In flashes she saw things, Fanelia, rebuilt since she last saw it, but then it was engulfed in flames that burned in different colors. The memory of Fanelia burning the first time returned to her, the smell of blood and smoke. Suddenly her vision was full of white feathers filling the air. Van…?

* * *

"Hitomi! Answer me!" Hitomi blinked back to reality to find her mothers anxious face hovering over her. 

"Mom?" Hitomi felt a little disoriented, but all right. What was that that she had seen? Why would she have a vision of Fanelia burning? And what were those eyes?

"Are you alright? You stopped talking and didn't answer so I came in to find you staring unblinking at the floor. You wouldn't answer me or move… I don't even know if you were _breathing_!"

"I'm sorry mom… I must have blacked out…" Hitomi smiled at her mom to try and reassure her she was all right. This wasn't the first time Hitomi had had a vision around her mom, but they were usually quick flashes of things like someone tripping nearby or flunking a test.

"Bah! Are you sure you're all right?" when Hitomi nodded, her mother sighed, "Finish up your bath, then we need to have a talk." Mrs. Kanzaki left the bathroom so her daughter could finish.

"Talk?…" Hitomi frowned after her mom; she didn't much like the sound of that.

Hitomi entered her room to find her mother waiting for her sitting on her bed. In her hands was a dusty old shoebox. "Hitomi… I have been meaning to give this to you, your grandmother asked me to give it to you on your 18th birthday, but I'd forgotten all about it until I came across it while cleaning," Hitomi's mother handed the box over to her.

Unsure of what this was about, Hitomi slowly opened the box, inside she found sheets of paper, and envelope, and some really old looking photos. She recognized a few of the people in them as her great grandparents on her mother's side. Why would her grandmother want her to have this stuff when she turned eighteen? Shouldn't it have gone to her mother, then Hitomi when he mom passed them down to her?

"I don't understand, why would grandmother want me to have some old pictures and some paper?" Hitomi looked up at her mother as she sat down on the bed next to her.

"Look inside of the envelope, Hitomi," Mrs. Kanzaki instructed, watching her daughter.

Frowning Hitomi reached in and withdrew the envelope. Setting the box to the side, she carefully opened it and drew out the folded pieces of paper inside, a she did so a small white feather fell out and made Hitomi's breath freeze in her throat. Although the feather was aged, it still gave the faintest impression of a glow. How could that have gotten in there?

Watching her daughter's face intently, Mrs. Kanzaki didn't miss the shock and recognition on Hitomi's face at the sight of the feather, "Read the letter Hitomi…"

With shaking fingers, Hitomi straightened the sheets of paper and found her grandmothers writing. She skimmed the first part then looked over at her mother, "This looks like a story, a fairy tale even, rather then a letter."

"That's what I had thought, but read farther, it may make more sense to you then it did to me," Hitomi's mother told her as she continued to watch her daughters.

"_'Long ago, on another world, not to far from our own, there was a grand place called the Atlantis'_," Hitomi stopped for a moment remembering something that happened three years ago, "Um, oh yeah," she continued reading it aloud, "_'The people who lived in this wondrous place were powerful and wise. They altered their bodies and gave themselves large feathered wings that made them seem like Angels of legend that we know here on our world. Atlantians were a peaceful people, but they were far more advanced with terrible power, and this helped in their destruction. Their power grew beyond their control and in the end it destroyed them…"_

_"As Atlantis fell, a handful of the Altantians escaped with the help of time and space manipulation and came to be here on Earth, while others to our unseen sister planet, Gaea. These refugees lost much of their power with the lost of their home, and now they had to fade into the populations of Earth and Gaea. Without a homeland, and not wanting to be reminded of what they had done to themselves or of the lose of Atlantis, they took on the a new name of Draconian._

_Three such refugees escaped here to what we know as Japan. This small group was made of a mother, a father, and their infant daughter. Here on Earth the three took up lives as ordinary people. They took on Japanese names for themselves and adopted the Japanese culture and lifestyle. The girls' parents eventually passed, their life spans shortened by the loss of Atlantis. Their daughter went on to find and marry a human man and give birth to a daughter of her own, which she named Yuri."_

"_Yuri was grew up knowing nothing of her Atlantian heritage, for all she knew she was an ordinary Japanese girl. But then shortly after the Yuri's father was killed by accident at his work, she began having strange vision that came true. When she asked her mother about the visions, the now middle aged woman had no chose but to tell her daughter the truth about where they had come from. When her daughter didn't believe her story, the woman showed her wings. Finding out she was not a normal person devastated Yuri and she didn't know what she was going to do. She went out that night with some of her friends to a festival hoping to clear her mind of it all. But on her walk home, she was engulfed in light and next thing she knew she was pulled into the sky. She found herself in a strange place she had never seen before. That is when she met a knight named Leon Schezar. The man with short, dark blond hair and mustache was surprised by her sudden appearance but he tried to talk to her anyway. Before she could really get to talk to the man, the same light took her away again. Yuri was back in the woods near her home. The girl wasn't sure what had happened, so she walked home quickly before anything else strange could happen. She avoided her mother and went straight into her room. She sat there for who knows how long, wondering who the man with blond hair was, what had taken her to that strange place. She stood at her window and looked out, then the light appeared again, when the light faded she was back where she was before, Neon lied on the ground nearby, battered, beaten, and bloody. She asked what had happened and the man gave her a small pendent. When Yuri was returned back to Earth, she told her mother of what had happened. Her mother told her that is must have been a shift and she had been token to Gaea, the planet the Atlantian's had created where things like Magic could still exist."_

_"The Yuri put all of it from her mind and tried to go back to living a normal life, but she was still plagued by foreseeing dreams and visions. Yuri made the best of it as she could, and continued on, she grew into a woman, fell in love with a nice man, and started a family of her own."_

_"When she gave birth to her daughter, Yuri decided not to tell her of her heritage, for she knew how disturbing it could be to find out. Besides that, her daughter did not seem to show any signs of having the power of foresight and visions or any other unignorable Atlantian traits. So time pasted and Yuri's mother passed away from age, and more time pasted and Yuri's daughter married a nice human man."_

_"They had two children, a girl and later a young boy. Yuri didn't think much about the past, not until her granddaughter started having visions like her own, saying things she couldn't possibly know of even at a young age. So the Yuri went to her granddaughter and gave her a pack of tarot cards and the pendant that the man Leon had given her,'_" Hitomi stopped and looked at her mother. "There is only one paragraph left."

"Read it," Hitomi's mother urged gently.

"_'My dearest Hitomi, I am Yuri, and you are that granddaughter. You are an Atlantian descendent, although you are more human; the Atlantian blood tends to be dominate. Your visions are powerful, maybe even more so then my own. Your mother has never truly found her power, though she too has the Atlantian blood. I am sorry I did not live long enough to tell you all of this in person, I am sure you have many questions. You are destined from things, things that will affect both Gaea and Earth. I tell you all of this because I have foreseen that you will be washed away to Gaea more then once and in the end, you will not return here to Earth. All luck to you my dearest, and may you find your wings.'_ That's the end," Hitomi looked at her mother.

"I think my mother was a little confused near the end," Hitomi's mother joked, although she gave Hitomi a searching look.

"No mother, I have already been to Gaea! I helped Van and Allan and all our friends defeat the evil Zaibach Empire that was trying to destroy everything! Grandmother was not crazy. I already knew about grandmothers meeting with Neon Schezar, he was Allen's father. But if she was telling the truth, I've got Atlantian blood… just like Van…" Hitomi trailed off.

"Hitomi? If you are right, and what your grandmother said is true, then you weren't supposed to come home," Hitomi's mom pointed out.

"Maybe I am meant to go back," Hitomi jumped up from where she sat, suddenly feeling a surge of energy and hope, "back to Van and Fanelia and everyone!" Could she really see him again? See them all again? Even that annoying cat Merle!

"Hitomi, do you really want to go back there?" her mother gave her an intense look. "I heard your stories before three years ago, and it sounded dreadfully dangerous…"

"Mother… I'm done with high school now, and I don't know what I want for the future, I don't really want to go to a trade school or university… I don't really see any future for me here. I want to go back, I miss Van, Allan, and even Merle." Hitomi dropped her gaze.

Hitomi was silent for a long moment, then with a sigh, "Alright then." Hitomi's mother stood up and walked to Hitomi's closet. Hitomi looked up blinking as she watched her mother drag out her duffel bag and started packing things into it.

"Mom?" Hitomi walked over to her.

"We need to make sure you are packed," Her mother said as she put some of Hitomi's clothes into the bag. "Can't have you leaving without being well prepared…"

"Mother, even if I could go back, who knows when it would happen," Hitomi knelled down beside her mom, feeling concern and worry at her behavior.

"Hitomi, your grandmother was wrong, I did have some visions of my own. When you went to Gaea the first time I sensed it. Last night I foresaw a beam of light take you away from me and you said that I didn't need to worry, you were going where you were needed. I see now that I can't stop destiny." Hitomi just stared gapped mouthed at her mother.

"Mom…" Hitomi started.

"I'll explain to your father and brother the best I can," Hitomi's mother put an extra pair of sneakers into the duffel bag and then looked at Hitomi.

"It's almost time, get dressed and get anything you might need or want to take with you," Mrs. Kanzaki stood up and headed out of the room.

Hitomi stared after her, then steadied her resolve and started moving about her room. Dressed into the cream colored blouse and the blue jeans she started packing. Picking up a photo of her family from her dresser, stared at it a moment, then moved and put it inside of her backpack. In a few minutes Hitomi's duffel bad was full of clothes, a make-up bag with her hairbrush, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste (and some pads and tampons), and other things she might need in it. She packed plenty since many of those things weren't found in Gaea, or at least not like this. She wasn't sure what she'd do when she ran out of these things; she would just have to adopt the way Gaea's women dealt with those issues. In her backpack she had a photo album, a school year book, her CD player and her CDs with a few packs of batteries, a flashlight, a first aid kit, a pad of paper and a few pens and pencils, some of her favorite books, and her tarot cards.

All packed, Hitomi went out into the living room and set her bags by the door. She moved over to her mother, who was leaning over the kitchen counter. Hitomi caught the sight of tears on her cheeks before she was noticed and her mother straightened up and turned away, wiping her face on her sleeve, "You might want to make some calls to say goodbye."

"Mother… I want to go, but I'll miss you and dad, and Yukari and my other friends…" Hitomi said, moving over she slipped her arms around her mother and hugged her.

"Hitomi, you're needed in Fanelia, something is going to happen, and without you the whole world of Gaea will fall. That evil may then move here to Earth as well. If you stay we may all die, if you go you can help stop the evil and save us all," Mrs. Kanzaki hugged her daughter fiercely.

Hitomi was stunned by her mothers talk. Before she would have argued that she couldn't do anything to help, but after her last adventure she knew she could well try anyway. Stepping back from the hug she tried to smile at her mother, "I'll do my best, mama."

"I know you will," Mrs. Kanzaki gave her a watery smile, then sniffed and moved off, "I should pack you something to eat to take with you…"

"I should call Yukari," Hitomi moved back to the living room and picked up the home. She dialed Yukari's cell phone since she doubted her friend would be home yet. After a few rings Yukari answered, "Hey Yukari, it's me. How's the 'date' going? Sure, sure it's not a date… Going to go see a movie huh? Well I hope you have fun… I just wanted to call to say… thank you… for what? Well for being my friend, my best friend, for all this time… For all the good and bad times we've shared… No I'm not dying or anything, I just wanted to say those things since I don't think I've said them enough… You go have fun now… goodbye Yukari…" Hitomi hung up the phone with a sigh.

* * *

Yukari frowned as she closed her cell. What was that all about? 

"Yukari, is something wrong?" Amano asked, looking over at her from where he sat on a park bench.

"That was Hitomi, she… didn't seem herself…" Yukari bit her lip, worry twisting gin her gut, "I'm going to call her back." She opened her cell back up and hit the speed dial for Hitomi's home phone. She stood there, arm hugged around her waist as she listened to rings. She got the answering machine. She hung up and turned to Amano, "She was just there! Why wouldn't she answer?"

Amano stood up and moved over to her, concern starting to show on his face as well, "She seemed fine earlier."

"Can we swing by her place on the way to the movie? I want to make sure she's all right. I wont be able to enjoy myself unless I know for sure…" Yukari pleaded.

Amano nodded, "Of course, let's go." With that they set off to head toward Hitomi's house.

* * *

"What is it?" Hitomi asked as she looked up to see her mom looking at her. 

"You've become such a beautiful young woman Hitomi, I am just sad that I wont see your wedding day," Hitomi's mom tossed her, her jacket.

"What do you mean?" Hitomi caught her jacket and put it on, giving her mom a suspicious look.

"Nothing. So who called a moment ago?" Mrs. Kanzaki changed the subject.

"Yukari was trying to call me back, I think she might be worried… I tried not to sound weird when I talked to her, but I guess it's hard to fool someone who's been your best friend since grammar school," Hitomi sighed.

"Come on Hitomi, it's time to go outside. You wouldn't want to miss your ride," Hitomi could tell by the quiver in her mom's voice and bittersweet smile on her face that her mom was trying not to cry again.

"Mom?" Hitomi gave her mom another look, this time worried. Her mom just ushered her to the door, where Hitomi slipped on her tennis shoes. As soon as she stood up her mom handed Hitomi her backpack, then once that was on, her duffel bag strap on her shoulder. Hitomi again looked at her mother.

"Come on," Mrs. Kanzaki slipped on her own shoes and walked outside, heading around to their backyard. Hitomi hesitated then followed her outside. Hitomi's mother looked up into the sky.

"Mom?" Hitomi asked again, worried about her mother, she was acting like she couldn't wait to get rid of her now.

"It's time Hitomi," Hitomi's mother looked at her as a bright white light came from the sky and hit right where Hitomi was standing.

"Mom!" Hitomi cried as she started getting pulled into the sky.

"Don't worry Hitomi! We'll always be with you! Never forget us! I love you!" Hitomi's mother waved and Hitomi could see tears in the woman's eyes again. Hitomi could see now that her mother was doing what she thought she had to. She was putting off her feelings and she didn't really want Hitomi to go, but she thought that she must. She had been rushing because she knew she wouldn't be able to let go of Hitomi otherwise.

"Yukari!" Amano pointed at the pillar of light. Together he and Yukari rushed the last bit of distance to Hitomi's house, the light was behind the house. By the time they got there, they found Mrs. Kanzaki looking up at the sky as the light faded from view, back into the sky from which it came.

"Hitomi!" Yukari cried, she just knew that her friend had been taken away again.

"She's gone, Yukari… gone to where she needs to be," Mrs. Kanzaki said softly, tears still in her eyes.


	3. 02 The Lady Hitomi

**The Lady Hitomi**

* * *

Hitomi was standing in the middle of a grassy field. "Mom…" Hitomi fell to her hands and knees. She thought she had caught a glimpse of Yukari and Amano running up just before everything had gone white as well. She stayed like that for a moment, a bit dazed from the trip, and sad that she probably would never see any of them again... her dad or brother either. After recovering herself, she slowly climbed back to her feet. Was she really back? Was she really on Gaea again? 

"Hey you, girl!" someone shouted. Hitomi blinked and looked toward a patch of woods that was at the North end of the field. "Stay right where you are!" A rough looking man with messy hair and the murky air of a thief started toward her.

* * *

"My lord, a shift has been spotted in the eastern forest," a Fanelian Castle Guard came into the throne room. 

"A shift? But there hasn't been any shifts since Zaibach was defeated," Merle blurted out, startled. The cat girl was now a young woman… err… cat-woman. Her tail had grown longer and slender, and had lost the fluffy tuff to smoother fur on the end. Her features were finer and lost the kid or kitten look. She still wore a dress like the one she did three years ago, but it was tailored to her growing body.

"A shift… send out some men to see who or what was transported there," Van straightened up from where he sat on the dais and looked at the guard.

"Yes sir," the guard bowed and ran out of the room to give the order. Merle glanced over to where Van was sitting. The young king looked like he was deep in thought.

"Is something wrong, Van?" Merle looked at the young king. He had grown a lot in the last three years himself. He was as handsome as ever, though his shoulders had broadened and he had gained some inches of height. He still liked to wear that same style of clothing, a loose shirt and comfortable pants. He could wear the finest of clothes, but he liked his comfortable style. At least he got new ones and they were clean.

"No, I am just wondering what would cause a shift, there hasn't been any reports of any on Gaea since…" Van drifted off… not wanting to say aloud, _'since Hitomi went home.'_

"The samurai will send word as soon as they find anything," Merle assured him.

"Has Allen and Princess Millerna arrive yet?" Van asked, changing the subject.

"No, but they should be here by tomorrow morning," Merle said.

"I do not see why we are celebrating my 19th birthday," Van sighed.

"Because all of the Fanelian nobles want you to celebrate the birth of their king," Merle said.

"I am getting tired of the nobles and the advisers, they are all pushing me to get married, saying I need an heir," Van sighed.

"Van, there must be some girl you can love," Merle said, though she already knew the answer to that.

"There was, but she is gone," Van looked away form Merle and into memory.

* * *

"You girl, you came through that beam of light didn't you," the man said. 

"Yes… um can you direct me to Fanelia?" Hitomi asked, hoping this man would turn out friendly.

"Who are you girl?" the man demanded.

"My name is Hitomi… Kanzaki Hitomi. Please sir, I need to go to Fanelia," Hitomi pleaded.

"What kind of name is Hitomi, or Kanzaki for that matter? What is in your bags there?" The man snatched Hitomi's duffel bag.

"Please, that's just my clothes, I have nothing of real value," Hitomi held onto the strap of her bag and wouldn't let go.

"I'll be the judge of that wench," the man laughed and he kicked her in the stomach, knocked the air out of her and making her let go of the bag. Hitomi coughed and knelled on the ground, her dusty blond hair hanging in her face.

In the distance there was the sound of a wolves howl. Next thing Hitomi eyes appeared around them, giving off the eye shine of animals but they were the size of a man's.

The thief started then turned to run, but they were surrounded, "Bloody beasts!" As the figures stood to their full height, Hitomi recognized the wolf men of Arzas, a village on the outskirts of Fanelia. Was this the same field she and Van had appeared in when she first came to Gaea?

"This is our territory, thief…" one of the wolf men growled as he and more of them surrounded the man.

"You girl, who are you?" another demanded.

"Is… Is Ruhm among you?" It took her a moment to recall the wolf man's name, and to get her voice working… it had been three years since she last saw someone who wasn't completely human.

"I am Ruhm…" the wolf man walked out from his people, eyeing Hitomi with interest, he seemed to draw in the air, taking the scents in. "You smell of foreign places, yet seem familiar as well… You came with that beam of light…"

"Ruhm! I'm Hitomi! Don't you remember me? I appeared here three years ago with Van of Fanelia!"

"Hitomi?" the wolf man asked startled, a few others in the group seemed to recognize her name as well, all looking in her direction as a few took the cursing thief by the arms. "You have returned from the Mystic Moon?"

"Yes! Please, I just want to get to Fanelia…" Hitomi pleaded.

"We would be honored to take you there ourselves. This man is a thief that fled from there. They sent word he might be coming our way. We will be taking him back to Fanelia for trial, we will take you there as well." Ruhm put a large paw like hand on Hitomi's slender shoulder. Relief filled Hitomi. She would be safe with the wolf men and they would take her to Fanelia.

* * *

Hitomi found herself in a hut in Ruhm's village, where they asked her to rest. They would head to Fanelia in the morning. She had no idea how tired she was until she lied down on the grass mattress and went right to sleep. She woke to pre-dawn light and the sound of horses and then men's voices. 

"We were sent to investigate a shift sighting," a man said. "We found nothing but thought we'd ask if you've seen anything strange and to ask if you found any signs of that thief that was thought to have came this way."

"Yes to both counts, samurai," Ruhm's voice replied. "We found your thief at the site of the light, attacking a young woman. He is being held in one of our huts, we were going to bring him to you this morning."

"A woman you say?" asked the samurai, at this point Hitomi was pulling on a change of clothes while listening. "Where is she? She didn't come with that shift did she?"

"Yes, that she did. She is an old friend of King Van, her name is Hitomi," Ruhm replied with amusement.

"Hitomi?" asked the puzzled samurai. The name seemed familiar. Another of the men moved his mount forward.

"That wouldn't be THE Hitomi? The girl from the Mystic Moon who helped defeat the Zaibach Empire?" the first samurai blinked at his comrade then looked back to Ruhm. Gasps and whispers came up from some of the other samurai behind them.

"Yes," Ruhm confirmed, "And here she is now."

Hitomi nearly squeaked at Ruhm having known she was peeking out even without looking back at the hut she was inside. Nervous and shy, she moved out from inside of the hut, letting the mat that covered the door fall back into place once she had stepped out, her backpack on and her duffel bag on her shoulder.

"Hello, I'm Kanzaki Hitomi," she gave these armored men a small polite bow. The men had gone silent looking at her. Some of them had remembered her from when she was in Fanelia before three years ago, while most had never seen her.

"It is true… that is her, she's grown a bit, but I swear that is her," one of the others told the samurai in charge.

"In this case then we would like to escort you to Fanelia," the samurai turned to one of the others, "Ride ahead an tell the magistrate we bring the thief for them, and send word to King Van that we also escort the Lady Hitomi."

"Yes sir," the samurai turned and speed away.

"Can you ride, M'Lady? It would be faster then if we took a wagon," the samurai in charge asked.

"I can ride some… but great, but I can manage…" then looking at Gaea's strange version of a horse that leaped rather then galloped, "I think..."

"Please let me take your bag M' Lady," the samurai who had vouched for her identity offered as he reached down and relieved her of her duffel bag and backpack. She was then lifted up into the saddle in front of one of the samurai, a young fellow who seemed nervous to have a legend sitting in front of him, but being younger and smaller he took up less of the saddle and the combined weight wouldn't wear on the horse.

Ruhm reached up and put a paw like hand on Hitomi's knee, "You will be safe with these men and will be with Van soon. I am sure he will be over-joyed to see you have returned."

"Thank you Ruhm... for everything," Hitomi smiled down at the good natured wolf man.

They set off as soon as the thief was secured, his hands bound, tied together with a rope leash held by a mounted samurai; he would have to walk the journey. As they rode toward Fanelia, Hitomi noticed that some of the Fanelian samurai kept stilling looks at her; she ignored it and found that she was still tired from all the excitement. She yawned and glanced around. The head samurai rode out in front. "How are repairs in Fanelia?" Hitomi asked the men around her.

"The city has a ways to go, but most of our survivors have returned and have rebuilt their homes," the samurai riding next to her and the boy that was kind enough to let her ride along said.

"That is good," Hitomi said, then she yawned. They rode quietly for a while, and then the young samurai behind found her slump against him some, making him blush, then he was startled to find the reason was that Lady Hitomi had fallen asleep.

* * *

"A rider has returned from the eastern forest M' Lord," the captain of the guard announced. 

"Send him in," Van said. A few moments later a young Fanelian samurai walked into the room. His hair was a mess, wind blown, and his face was a little flushed from the hard and fast ride.

"M' Lord," the samurai bowed.

"What word do you bring, Merit?" Van said.

"In our search for where the shift landed, we can upon a grassy field where we believe it set down, but we found nothing but the signs of a possible struggle. The commander thought it best we check with the locals so we went to Arzas to ask the dog men," the young samurai Merit explained.

"And?" Merle said, wanting to get to the point.

"There we found that they had investigated the spot as well, and had found the thief that we've been after. Apparently he was mugging a girl when they found him," the samurai got out, then hesitated, not sure how to deliver the rest.

"A girl…?" Van shifted in his seat, something making him sit up straighter.

"Ruhm claimed that she was the Lady Hitomi, sire," Merit was rewarded by a shocked look on both King Van Fanel and the Lady Merle's faces.

"Are you sure he said Hitomi?" Merle demanded.

"Yes, very sure, old Crocin confirmed it, he always did say he remembered when the Lady was here in Fanelia," Merit said.

"When should they arrive here?" Van asked softly.

"They should arrive in less then two hours, M' Lord," Merit said.

"Thank you, Merit, you may go," Van said. Merit bowed and then walked out of the room. "Merle, have a room prepared for our guest..."

"Yeah, I'll send someone to do that right away," Merle jumped up from where she was sitting and ran out of the room in her four legged fashion that wasn't really lady like, but at the moment she didn't really care.

"Hitomi… Has she really returned to us?" Van whispered to himself as he got up from his throne and walked out of the throne room.

* * *

"M'Lady, wake up," the young samurai behind her said softly down to the sleeping girl using his arm for a pillow. He still couldn't help but blush, looking at her. 

"Huh? What?" Hitomi blinked and looked around. They were ridding through a town. "Are we in Fanelia already?" Hitomi asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you slept through most of the ride," one of the other samurai laughed.

"We are almost to the Castle," the leader added. They had to ride up a flight of stairs before they came into the courtyard of the Castle. Everyone dismounted and a few stable boys ran up and led the horses to the sables. Hitomi looked around, the castle looked like it did when she first had come to Fanelia, although most of it was newly rebuilt so it didn't look as grand and old as it had before. They had done a good job with rebuilding it in any case. The head samurai led Hitomi toward on of the entryways while the samurai that had accompanied them went off on their own business, some taking the thief off to face his sentencing.

"Hitomi, it's really you!" Hitomi looked toward the door they had been heading toward only to see someone bounding forward on all fours until they pounced and almost knocked Hitomi backwards. She blinked at Merle, no longer the little cat girl she remembered, hugging herself around Hitomi's middle. She had grown a lot; she looked like a young woman with the features of a cat, meaning with a tail, ears, markings, and fur.

"Merle," Hitomi smiled. Merle laughed as she gave Hitomi a tight hug. Hitomi hugged her back, when they first met, Merle and Hitomi didn't get along to well, if at all… Mostly because Merle was protective and jealous when it came to Van and she hadn't like anything female getting close to him. But they became close friends through their adventures with Van… Hey you life being in danger nearly every day didn't live much room for childish squabbles and grudges.

"Hitomi…" Hitomi looked up at another voice… this one soft and very male… Forest green met intense brown as she found herself meeting gazes with Van, who was standing in the doorway now. Her heart almost stopped. There he stood, the young king of Fanelia. He had grown taller and more muscular. He still wore the same style of clothing she remembered, and his hair was still a black mess, but to Hitomi he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Hitomi let go of Merle, who backed away so Van and Hitomi could talk.

"Hello Van…" Hitomi said, suddenly feeling kind of shy and unsure.

"You came back…" Van said as if he could still not believe that she had returned. He was staring at her as if in wonder.

"I have," Hitomi said, she could tell her eyes were burning and wanting to tear.

"Are you only here for a short time again?" Van asked airily; though it was hard to tell by his voice what he was thinking or feeling at the moment.

"No, I have come to stay this time; here on Gaea," Hitomi bit her lower lip some, "I was hoping you would let me live here in Fanelia..."

"Your really here to stay?" Van asked, his eyes almost seeming to light up like they sometimes did when Van was having a non-brooding moment and actually was happy or pleased about something.

"Yes, I am not going to leave again," Hitomi said and she felt a warm tear fall free of her eye and roll down her cheek. Van, seeing this, stepped forward, coming toward her. He stopped and without really thinking about it reached out, wiping the tear with the back of his gloved finger. "Oh Van," Hitomi fell into his arm and started crying. Van just stood there for a startled moment, a bit unsure and just not really being very good with this kind of thing, but then he wrapped his arms around her and held her while she cried and soaked up his shirtfront.

"Take Hitomi's bags to her room, Merle," Van ordered softly over Hitomi's sniffles. Merle was already picking up Hitomi's things. Once she was gone, and the samurai excused himself, Van and Hitomi just stood there for a few more minutes, until Hitomi got control of herself and stepped away from Van.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have broken down like that," Hitomi apologized, feeling rather embarrassed.

"It's all right… at least I know this isn't a dream; you're real," Van gave her a shaky smile. Hitomi looked at him and met his brown eyes. They were as intense as she remembered them. "Why have you come back, Hitomi?"

"Many reasons… one being that I haven't stopped thinking about all of you here. Another is that I didn't really have any future plans back on Earth… the Mystic Moon; I couldn't find a path to follow there… I didn't really have a purpose back there. Them my mother foresaw that I was going to come back here last night and that I was never going to go back the Mystic Moon. Also my grandmother left me a letter before she died and told me a family secret," Hitomi looked away.

"Are you going to tell me the secret?" Van asked, curious now.

"I don't know how to say it," Hitomi said.

"Just say it," Van said.

"Van, my grandmother's parents originally came from AtlantisThey escaped the horrible deserter by fleeing thought time and space to the Mystic Moon," Hitomi said.

"I see, and why was that hard to tell me?" Van asked, almost seeming amused.

"Van, my great-great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather were all from Atlantis, my great-grandmother was full Draconian, then my grandmother was half, and my mother a quarter. It isn't much, but that makes me a eighth." Hitomi stated, head spinning a little from all the greats… Van just stared at her. "All of the visions I have, they are all because of the Atlantian blood."

"So your like me then?" Van asked, the new not seeming to surprise him.

"I guess so, but I don't know if I inherited the wings part, even if my grandmother did say the Draconian blood is dominate," Hitomi said.

"That is… well to put it lightly… amazing… but not exactly surprising," Van wasn't sure what else to say.

"Uh huh, well I thought you should know, since you know a little something about this kind of thing," Hitomi shrugged.

"Well since you are planning on staying in Fanelia anyway, I would like you to live here at the Castle." Then on a second thought, "Do you still have visions?" Van asked.

"Yes, but not as intensely as I did during the war with Zaibach," Hitomi replied.

"Well I would like you to be one of my advisers then, I totally trust you and you have never been wrong before… and everyone in Fanelia knows your name," Van added.

"They do?" Hitomi blinked, that would explain why the Fanelian samurai looked at her so strangely.

"Most of Gaea knows about Lady Hitomi, the Girl from the Mystic Moon who could see into the future as well as into the past. The girl would helped save our world from the Zaibach Empire," Van grinned. "People tend to tell stories and those stories tend to get spread around. I've heard some of myself that make me ten feet talk and breathing fire."

"Gees…" Hitomi said, awed; she really had no idea.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room, I am sure you are tired," Van gave her a small smile and guided her inside. As they walked along Hitomi noticed that Van was only like three inches taller then herself. Van glanced over when he didn't think Hitomi was looking and thought about how lovely she looked with longer hair, even disheveled like it was after her long ride.

When they reached what was to be Hitomi's room, they found Merle snooping through Hitomi's bags. "Merle! Get out of there you nosey pest of a cat!" Hitomi growled. Van just blinked and stared the way he usually did whenever Hitomi and Merle had one of these spats. Hitomi and Merle tug-a-warred over some kind of shirt and Van looked at the floor that was covered in Hitomi's belongings. One thing caught his eye, so he picked it up. It was a photograph of four people. Hitomi was in it, sitting in front with a young boy. Behind them sat to older people, who Van guessed were Hitomi's mother and father.

"Oh come on Hitomi, let me try it on," Merle whined.

"You could have asked before you went through my bags!" Hitomi snapped back. Merle let go of the blouse they had been fighting over and picked up something else, Hitomi had fallen backwards onto the bed with Merle's sudden release.

"What's this?" Merle held up a piece of white clothe that had straps and cups; one of Hitomi's' bras.

"That's some of my underwear!" Hitomi quickly grabbed it, face bright red, and stuffed it into her bag. Van just stared at the two girls.

"Merle, I think you should go to your own room now," Van suggested.

"Aww…" Merle sigh, then she walked out of the room. Hitomi sighed as she picked up more of her belongings.

"If you find this room uncomfortable I can have you moved to another," Van mentioned. Maybe one closer to his…

"This is fine, thank you, Van," Hitomi took the photo of her family from him and set it on a dresser.

"Your going to miss them, aren't you," Van said softly… more of a statement then a question.

"Yes, but I will be happy being here too. There are things here that I can't have on the Mystic Moon," Hitomi looked back at Van.

"Well, I am happy you have come back, Hitomi. I, and the others, have all missed you these last three years," Van said. If he had picked up on her suggested statement that he was something she didn't have back home, he didn't show any sigh of it.

"Well your stuck with me now," Hitomi laughed as she put her clothes into the dresser-like furnishing. Van noticed a glimmer of green satin.

"What's that?" Van pointed to Hitomi's duffel bag. Hitomi looked over and reached inside, pulling out a lovely satin dress.

"This is the dress I bought for a school dance, which I ended up not even going to. I don't know why mom packed it," Hitomi looked at the dark green dress.

"A dance?" Van asked, curious again.

"It's like a party or ball, I guess… people go listen to music and dance," Hitomi explained.

"Oh, well then you can wear that dress to the celebration they are holding day after tomorrow," Van said.

"Celebration?" Hitomi asked.

"Some of the Fanelian nobles think I need a birthday celebration for my 19th birthday," Van sighed.

"Oh I see, I'd love to come," Hitomi smiled as she finished putting away her things.

"Good," Van stood there for a moment, and Hitomi just sat on the bed looking at him. They stared at each other for what seemed like ages, and then finally Van spoke up again, although it was almost a whisper, "I am almost afraid if I leave you'll disappear..."

Hitomi felt her heart flutter a little… he had been making small comments like that since she arrived and every time it made her almost ache. At least she knew for sure he was glad she had returned and that he did want her there. "I'll be here in the morning when you wake up, I promise," Hitomi got up and walked over to him.

"I'm glad your back, Hitomi," Van said for like the third or fourth time and he took Hitomi's hands

"I'm glad to be back, Van," Hitomi smiled and she gave Van's hands a little squeeze. They stood there for a moment then Van finally let go of Hitomi's hands.

"Goodnight Hitomi," Van said and he stepped out of her room.

"Goodnight Van, sweet dreams," Hitomi said and she watched him walk away, when he was out of sight, she closed her door. Hitomi finished putting things here and there, then she throw her empty bags in the closet and changed into a nightgown. She then lied down and fell straight to sleep, feeling warm and safe in the Fanelian Castle.


	4. 03 Preparation and Celebration

**Preparation and Celebration**

* * *

"Hitomi, its time to get up," Merle's voice called from out side Hitomi's door. Hitomi yawned and looked around, sunlight was coming through the large, low window and shined onto the floor near her bed. "Hitomi?" Merle called again, sounding annoyed. 

"I'm up!" Hitomi yelled back as she climbed out of bed.

"Well get dressed and come down the Van's private dinning room to eat breakfast, Van, Allen, and Millerna are waiting for you," Merle huffed, and then she left. Hitomi blinked, Allen and Millerna were here? She got up and quickly grabbed some clothes from the dresser. She decided on a white blouse and a short pleated skirt, kind of like the one she had worn with her school uniform. She took her brush and brushed out her bed hair, one of the downfalls of having longer hair, you had to brush it a lot and fight tangles. It wasn't super-long, but it flowed past her shoulders now. She slipped on some shoes and socks and left her room. Now where was the dinning hall? It had been a long time since she had been here.

"There you are," Merle said as she turned a corner and almost ran into her.

"Sorry, I wasn't' sure where the dinning room was," Hitomi apologized.

"Oh? Really Hitomi, you think you could remember something so simple," Merle teased, "Well follow me then," the feline turned and walked down the hall to the right, Hitomi followed glancing around, trying to remember the way so she wouldn't need Merle to lead her everyday. The reached a large doorway and Merle slid open the doors.

Talking and laughter came from the other room, but it quieted as Merle and Hitomi entered. Van motioned for Merle to bring Hitomi up to sit with them. He, Allen, and Millerna all sat at the table in the dinning room. Usually Van would eat in the dinning hall with his people, but since it was Hitomi's first day here to settle in, he hadn't wanted her to feel awkward in a roomful of hardy samurai and stuffy Fanelian nobles. Besides, he wanted Hitomi's reunion with her other friends to be private.

"Hitomi?!" The question came from a shocked Princess Millerna once the girl had drawn close enough for a decent look.

"Hitomi?" Allen repeated, just as surprised.

"Allen! Millerna! I take it Van failed to mention my being here to you?" Hitomi smiled; glad to see them. "I know he failed to mention to me that you would be here." Hitomi accused good-naturedly.

"I thought I'd leave it as a surprise," Van smiled, sitting back.

"Hitomi! It really is you!" Millerna got up and darted over, gathering the younger girl up in a hug, then pulled her away enough to get a good look at her, "You've grown out your hair… and a few other things."

Hitomi blushed at the Princess's comment, "Millerna!" she whined at being embarrassed in such a way in front of Van and Allen.

"Hitomi, you have truly grown into a lovely lady," Allen took Millerna's place, but rather then a hug; he took and kissed Hitomi's hand.

"Are you back for good, Hitomi?" Millerna asked hopefully. She and Hitomi hadn't gotten on very well at first, mostly out of jealousies over Allen, whom Millerna was in love with, and Hitomi was crushing on. But like Hitomi and Merle, after all they went through, they formed a strong bond.

"I am here to stay this time," Hitomi assured them.

"Come now, breakfast will get cold," Millerna said. She took her seat again, Allen beside her. Hitomi sat on Van's right, and then Merle sat on Hitomi's other side.

"I trust that you slept well," Van asked once everyone was seated again.

"Yes," Hitomi nodded.

"She must have, it was hell waking her up," Merle commented as she snatched some breakfast.

"So how are things? What all happened after I left?" Hitomi asked.

"Well I had the word spread that all Fanelians were to return home," Van said.

"Prince Chid has been ruling Fried with help of advisers and I have been acting as his guardian as his mother's sister. He is to be given the official title of Baron of Fried on his sixteenth birthday. Pretty much all the kingdoms and their people have been regrouping and started rebuilding," Millerna said.

"This has brought all the countries together. The countries that were not devastated as bad as others have been pitching in supplies to help rebuild their brother countries," Allen said.

"That is good," Hitomi said.

"Basram has been one of the biggest benefactors…" Millerna said dryly.

Allen gave a small, empty smile, "That is because everyone knows they are the ones that unleashed that energist bomb that killed many allied warriors as well as those of Zaibach…"

Merle changed the flow of the conversation back, "Fanelia is almost finished being rebuilt, in these short three years most homes and shops have been repaired better then ever," Some servants came and put a plate in front of Hitomi. They filled it up with some kind of pastry.

"Tell us all about the last three years, Hitomi," Millerna suggested, interested in Hitomi's life on the Mystic Moon. Hitomi gave them a summery, although there wasn't much to tell. Although some of the stuff she mentioned were mundane to her, Millerna asked questions for more details. Even Van and Allen seemed interested in her getting her driver's license and these things called cars.

After breakfast was done, Millerna and Allen excused themselves to wander the city, and Merle ran off to run some errands. Hitomi had the suspension they were all giving her and Van some time alone.

Van asked Hitomi to join him in a walk in the castle gardens. The garden was more beautiful then Hitomi had remembered. It wasn't as large as the one in Asturia, and it still had a lot of growing to do, some of the trees were still saplings.

"It's not too great now, but one day this Garden will be very beautiful, like the ones we had before Zaibach burned Fanelia," Van said.

"It's lovely already, and in a few years those trees will be larger and shade some of the more delicate flowers," Hitomi said. She bent over and smelled a blossom. She glance up at Van and found he was just staring at her. She stood up and looked at him. Van had confessed that he had loved her just before she had left for the Mystic Moon. Did he still love her? She wasn't sure and she was scared to ask. She knew he was glad to see her and to have her back, but that could only be because he had missed her companionship as a friend.

"Did you bring dancing shoes?" Van asked seemingly out of nowhere.

"Huh?" Hitomi blinked.

"For the celebration tomorrow, I know you have that lovely dress, but do you have shoes to go with it," Van said.

"Actually now that you mention it, no. I only brought two pairs of sneakers," Hitomi admitted after recalling that besides the tennis shoes currently on her feet, her mom had only packed her a spare pair of street shoes.

"I'll have Merle take you down to the cobbler, maybe he'll have something you can use," Van said. He led her back into the Castle and Van sent a sentry to go look for Merle. A few minutes later the cat girl showed up. "Merle, can you take Hitomi down to the market place and get her a pair of shoes for tomorrow," Van asked.

"Sure Van, I need to pick up some things anyway" Merle smiled, tail weaving behind her. She never minded when it came to running errands for her king.

"Here, this should cover anything he has in the store," Van gave Hitomi a pouch with currency inside.

"Thank you, Van," Hitomi wasn't sure how much he gave her, but the pouch was pretty heavy… he really shouldn't spend on something like shoes… this money could be better spent, she was sure. Merle lead Hitomi away and Van watched them until they disappeared from sight.

"Here it is, the shoe makers place," Merle said as she dragged Hitomi inside the small shoe shop. Merle had spent most of the day picking up things for the castle; they had a whole cart full. Some of the castle serving men waited outside with their things while they ran this errand.

Hitomi looked around, the whole shop was full of different kinds of shoes and boots and sandals and everything else you can think of along the lines of foot wear.

"Shoe maker!" Merle called, ears perking up as she looked around the shop for him. An elderly man walked out of the back room then, lofting brows at the energetic cat woman.

"Miss Merle? Need a new pair of sandals already?" the shoemaker laughed.

"Nope, I'm not here for myself, King Van sent me to get some shoes for her," Merle jerked her clawed thumb at Hitomi. The man put on some glasses and looked at Hitomi.

"Well aren't you a lovely young thing, what kind of footwear are you looking for?" the shoemaker asked.

"I need some kind of shoe that I can dance in and that will match a dark green satin dress," Hitomi said.

"Hmm… let me see your shoe you are wearing now so I can get the size right," the shoemaker said, so Hitomi slipped off her right sneaker and handed it to him, he looked at it and blinked, "What kind of shoe is this? What in Gaea is it made of?"

"It's a Nike brand… it's called a sneaker or tennis shoe, and I think its some kind of rubber and leather…" Hitomi said.

"Never hear of such a thing," grumbled the man as he walked to his shelves and took down a few pairs of shoes. "Tires these on," he handed them to Hitomi who sat down on a bench and slipped the shoes on and off.

"I like these ones, but they wont match the dress to well," Hitomi admitted to a pair of lime green slippers. "But then again, who is going to be looking at my feet?"

"How much do you have to spend?" the shoemaker inquired.

"Van gave me this," Hitomi handed him the bag of coins. He poured it out into his hand and blinked.

"This is a lot of money, why would the king spend so much on you?" the shoemaker asked.

"Because I am a old friend, I guess," Hitomi shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable now.

"No Hitomi, you dimwit, it's because he loves you," Merle stated bluntly, inspecting her claws as she waited, bored already. Hitomi blinked over at her, then looked down at the floor embarrassed.

"Hitomi? As in Lady Hitomi, the girl from the Mystic Moon the save out whole world from Zaibach?" the shoemaker asked, his brows so high they were touching his hairline.

"That's the one," Merle said brightly, a hint of mischief in her voice.

"What did you mean by he loves me Merle?" Hitomi demanded, once she got her voice back, she glared over at the catgirl.

"He has always loved you, he's been so moppy. Especially when the pesky nobles get onto him to select a bride because he needs an heir," Merle shrugged. "Whenever it comes up, he always gets a faraway look, like he's pinning for someone. Now I've been with Lord Van my whole life, and I'd know if he got close to some female or another. And the only one that I know for sure he had feelings for was you. He's just to shy to blurt it all out when you only just got back here… he's probably unsure if you feel the same. You better not go breaking my Lord's heart or I'll never forgive you." Merle continued to pick at her claws.

"I didn't know all that…" Hitomi admitted… part of her feeling overjoyed, he had missed and thought about her just as much as she did him… but another part felt bad… she had no idea Van had missed her so deeply, he had suffered the same lonely nights she had… "But your probably really should be talking about Van's feeling for him, Merle, they are kind of private."

"Hmph," Merle rolled her eyes.

"Well that is all good and stuff, but you still need shoes, and I think I have what you're looking for," the shoemaker went into the back room and a few minutes later her came out with a box in his hands. "I made these for no one in particular, but they are some of my best work," the shoemaker set the box on a table and opened it up; inside were beautiful dark green slippers. They had designs of gold leaves sown into the top of the toe, right in the center of the leaves were a flower design made of emeralds.

"It's beautiful," Hitomi gasped.

"Suited for a princess, and they are just your size," the shoemaker agreed. He put the lid back on the box and handed it to Hitomi, "I want you to have them."

"How much?" Hitomi asked.

"No charge, they are a gift, for helping our king and helping to save our world from Zaibach," the shoemaker explained.

"But surely it cost you a lot for the materials to make them," Merle pointed out, having peeked over to see them.

"Yes, but I don't mind and I will have no argument. You had better get back to the castle, it will be night soon," the cobbler walked into the backroom and left Hitomi and Merle to stare after him. They then looked at each other, Hitomi sighed and followed Merle out of the shop.

"I wish there was a way to pay him back," she said as she climbed onto the cart.

"We'll can leave some money for him someday," Merle assured her. "If we left it now it would insult him," They made one last stop at a produce stand and Hitomi looked around while Merle stalked up on fresh fruits and vegetables for the palace kitchen.

Someone bumped into Hitomi, so she moved, turning to try and get out of the way, and a hand that had been grabbing for the coin pouch Van had given her, grabbed her bottom instead. Hitomi squealed and swung, smacking some guy across the face. The pickpocket stumbled back, stunned, and then ran before any samurai in the market place came running to the scream.

"Hitomi! You ok? What happened?" Merle was at her side in a flash, fur on end and ears laid back against her hair. She looked Hitomi over for any harm. Some of the serving men too were on an alert, looking around for whatever danger had made Hitomi cry out.

"Some guy… grabbed my bottom," Hitomi was bright red with embarrassment, and she said the second part in a lower voice only for Merle.

The catgirl blinked, then glared around, "Stupid perverts… Though I bet it was just a clumsy pickpocket snatching for your coins but missed. Well, come on. We'll report it to the samurai policing the market place, then we need to get back to the Castle," Merle hopped up into the cart and Hitomi got up beside her. The serving man driver shook the reins, making the horses head toward the castle.

Hitomi wasn't very hungry so she didn't go to dinner; they were going to be eating in the dinning hall with the rest of the castle. Instead she retired to her room early. She sat on her bed and looked at the beautiful emerald slippers. Everyone seemed to think she was some big hero, but all she had been was a terrified young girl who saw things that might happen and tried to keep her friends and herself alive. There was a knock on her door. "Come in," Hitomi called. Princess Millerna came into the room.

"I came to check if you were feeling well," Millerna said.

"Yeah, I just wasn't hungry," Hitomi assured her.

"What is it that you've got there?" Millerna asked looking at the shoes in Hitomi's lap.

"Slippers to go with my dress," Hitomi pointed to the green satin dress hanging on the wall to keep it from getting wrinkled after the maid had pressed it.

"That is a beautiful dress, I haven't seen anything like it," Millerna said almost awed… she could almost be jealous, she had nothing like it…

"Yeah, well Mystic Moon fashion is a little different then it is here," Hitomi admitted.

"The shoes match it perfectly as well, you will look like a princess," Millerna grinned, "I better look out or you might outshine me."

"I'm no princess," Hitomi assured her friend.

"Maybe not, but we can make you look like one. Let me help with your hair and make-up tomorrow night?" Millerna asked, then she noticed Hitomi had a zoned out look. Her eyes were unfocused and she had a shocked or surprised look on her face. "Hitomi?"

"Huh? Ok I guess," Hitomi blinked and looked around as if she expected something to pounce on her, she then set the shoes on the nightstand. "Sorry, just thinking."

"Ok… Well, you'll be one the most beautiful maidens at the ball," Millerna laughed. She then waved and left the room. Hitomi just sat there for a few minutes, and then she got up. Soon she was in nightgown and lied down to bed. She lied there thinking for a while, about how the shoemaker gave her the shoes, and how Merle so bluntly said that Van still loved her and has since she left. Then she thought about the strange thing she saw, it was like the vision she had seen before leaving home. All she remembered was that there were the eyes all around, glowing eyes of some kind of beast. This time there was one pair of human eyes as well… red eyes that didn't glow like those beastly ones around them. They full of desired revenge and more then a little touch of madness. These thought haunted her until she finally she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next morning Merle came to Hitomi's room with he breakfast, everyone was too busy getting everything ready for Van's birthday celebration to eat in the dinning hall that morning. Hitomi ate and opened her window. She saw people running around the castle doing this and that. There came a knock on her door so Hitomi got up and answered it. 

"Hitomi, you should start getting dressed," Millerna walked into the room with a bag of make-up and a jewelry box and such things.

"But the celebration doesn't start until tonight I thought," Hitomi said in surprise.

"The ball part doesn't but there is going to be a parade and a celebration in the city as well," Millerna said, "and Van wants you to watch the parade with him."

"Oh…" Hitomi was a little taken aback.

"Now go wash up in the washroom, then get into your dresses," Millerna pushed Hitomi into the restroom. Hitomi took a quick bath and washed her hair and stuff. She dried off with a towel. She came back into the room and dug out her underwear, pulling on her strapless bra that had been packed with her things, and slipped on her panties. She then took her dress from where it hung and with Millerna's help, slipped it on. The dark green satin gown fell into place, hugging her curves in all the right places. Millerna helped to zip her up and looked at her.

"My that dress fits you like a second skin." The dress was strapless and was tight around her chest and waist. It then flared out and hung over her hips, the rim almost touched the ground. Millerna handed her, her slippers, and after pulling on some stockings, she stepped into them.

"That dress really makes you green eyes stand out," Millerna observed as she sat Hitomi down in a chair and took to her hair with a brush and comb. Then she pulled the hair on top of Hitomi's head into a loose ponytail. "You lucky, I found a green one in my box that matched your dress," Millerna then put a slender green leather strap with a gold drop with emerald hanging from it, over Hitomi's forehead. It was just like the one Millerna herself usually wore, only Millerna was more partial to a dark pink-red band that had a blue gem. Millerna then let Hitomi's hair down and combed it out.

"Millerna! Are you sure it's all right I wear this?" Hitomi wasn't sure if it were proper. It seemed like something only a princess should wear.

"Yes, not stop fidgeting," she tugged on Hitomi's hair some until she stopped, "Well I think that you should wear it down, but we can put it up if you would like."

"How about half and half?" Hitomi suggested.

"Ok," Millerna combed the top half and the sides of Hitomi's hair into a half ponytail and left most of the back hair down. Millerna then wrapped straps of cloth into Hitomi's ponytail to make it curly as it dried. She also pulled out a lock of hair on either side of Hitomi's face and wrapped them in cloth as well. "Now while your hair dries lets do your make-up," Millerna said. She turned Hitomi's chair around and looked the girl over.

Millerna eyed Hitomi's strange make-up in the make-up box she had brought from home, but she found it to her liking as she started playing with it. She put a light coat of dark green eye shadow on Hitomi's eyelids, not enough that it stood out, but enough to make her green eyes stand out more. She put a little blush and lip color and looked at her work. "Are your ears pierced?" Millerna asked.

"Yes," Hitomi took a peek of herself in the mirror, Millerna didn't do a bad job at all, but of course she was a princess, she had to know how to make herself look good. Millerna took a pair of gold and emerald earrings that matched the small gem hanging from the green strap on Hitomi's forehead. Hitomi put the earrings on and turned around so Millerna could take out the strips of cloth.

When they were done Hitomi stared at herself in the mirror. Staring back was a girl in a strapless dark green satin dress and beautiful dark green slippers with golden leaves and emeralds weave into them. A girl with her hair pulled into a half ponytail, which was curled in many loose dusty blond spirals, and had two locks on either side of her faced curled, framing it. A dark green strap lay across of forehead, an emerald with gold hanging down, with earrings that matched in her ears, and just the right amount of make-up.

"Millerna, Hitomi, is it ok to come in?" Allen's voice came from outside Hitomi's door.

"Come on in Allen, we could use a man's opinion," Millerna grinned at Hitomi, already knowing that her work was excellent. Allen chuckled at Millerna's comment and pushed the door open and slipped inside. He blinked and stared when he saw them. "So how does she look?"

"That's Hitomi?" Allen lofted a blond brow, "You've grown more then I had thought." Millerna gave him a look since that could almost have sounded perverted.

"So I look ok?" Hitomi asked.

"You look great, you will be the envy of the ball," Allen assured her. "Van asked me to collect you, they want to start the parade."

"Ok," Hitomi picked up the side of her dress so she could walk better and it wouldn't get dirty. Allen offered his arm, which made her hesitant, then awkwardly take it. He smiled back at Millerna, who was just as amused as Allen.

"I'll see you at the ball Hitomi, I need to go get dressed now," Millerna waved and headed toward her own room. Allen escorted Hitomi to the front courtyard. There were groups of people standing about. Van was standing with his back to the Castle. He was dressed in nice clothes for once, with ornamental armor. An outfit fit for a Fanelian king.

There were some of the samurai around the courtyard as well, they were out of their battle armor and were in dress suits and shinny dress armor instead. Hitomi stepped out into the sunny courtyard and found that the fabric of her dress shimmered in the light. The samurai who had been talking about themselves stopped and watched as Hitomi, escorted by Allen Schezar, walked to King Van.

"I've brought Lady Hitomi, Lord Van," Allen said formally with a hint of mischief in his voice. Van turned around to greet them and found that he couldn't find his voice. He along with most of the people in the courtyard just stared.

"Hi Van, you look nice today," Hitomi said to brake the silence, feeling uncomfortable with all the eyes on them.

"You look beautiful," was all Van could say, but it was enough to make Hitomi blush. Van had known Hitomi was a lovely woman and would look great, but she looked as good, if not better, then any princess or noble lady he had ever seen standing there before him now.

"Aren't you going to be late for the parade?" Allen grinned.

"Oh yeah," that snapped Van out of his trance. He offered Hitomi a hand to help her up into the carriage they were going to ride in. Hitomi took his hand and hoped in, when she was seated Van himself got inside and the coachman started toward the city. She saw Allen standing there with a grin waving them off and sighed.

It was only a few minute ride to where they were going to watch the parade, it was a quiet one, but Van kept looking at her when he thought she wouldn't notice. It made her smile and blush some. When they arrived, Van helped Hitomi out of the carriage and led her to a balcony that over looked the main street of Fanelia. They sat down just as the first of the parade participants started marching along below them. The first float wasn't far behind, or men playing musical instruments. The floats were built on top of wagons and were pulled along by horses and other animals.

"What does that float represent?" Hitomi asked as an angel made of flowers rolled by.

"That is a tribute to Varie Fanel, my mother," Van said. Then a float with a statue of a man holding a sword passed below them. "That is for Goau Fanel, my father."

"That one is supposed to be Folken…" Hitomi said, not needing to ask… The third float had a man with a metal gauntlet that covered his arm from fingertips to shoulder, and he wore fake black wings… He wasn't being betrayed as a villain though… Much to Hitomi's relief, but more like a tragic hero. Van merely nodded.

"What about that one," Hitomi pointed to a float that had two kids about 15 stood on the float along with a little white cat girl. The boy had messy black hair and wore clothes like Van's and the cat girl stood on the bottom of the float near the boy's feet, the boy holding a sword and doing his best to look regal. The other girl was sitting on a mound that was in the center of the float, she had short blond hair and wore a strange outfit covered in stars and crescent moons. In her hand she held a pendent.

"That is a tribute to you Hitomi, the girl is you and the boy is supposed to be me and the cat girl is Merle. It is supposed to be us during the war with Zaibach. Like I said, you are a legend to the people of Fanelia," Van looked at her as she watched the float go by in awe.

Van watched her… she was so beautiful, kind, and caring. She had saved his life so many times, sometimes even endangering herself in doing so; his trust in her was absolute. His people already loved her, and most only knew of her. Although he would never have admitted it, he had hoped deep down that she would somehow come back. He turned his attention back to the parade when Hitomi looked over at him to ask another question.

When the parade was drawing to it's end, Van and Hitomi headed down to the streets where a street party was happening. Van hooked his arm around Hitomi's so they would get separated. Merchants were giving away free samples and selling goods and everyone waved and bowed to Van as they pasted by. As Van and Hitomi walked down the street, they came upon the cobbler that had given Hitomi her lovely slippers. Hitomi explained what happened to Van and he walked over to the man, with Hitomi at his arm.

"Good-day Shoemaker," Van said as they walked up.

"Oh Lord Van!" the shoemaker bowed. "How can I be of service?"

"I don't need anything today, thank you. I just wanted to thank you for your kindness to Lady Hitomi," Van said. The shoemaker stood up and looked at Hitomi.

"My, you look stunning M' Lady Hitomi," the shoemaker said.

"Thank you, Shoemaker. I wish you would let me pay for the slippers," Hitomi added.

"No, no, no, they were a gift," the cobbler insisted, smiling.

"We must return to the Castle, good-day to you, Shoemaker," Van led Hitomi away and headed toward where the carriage waited. Once they got inside, the carriage took then back to the castle, where people were arriving for the ball.

Royalty from the surrounding kingdoms, Fanelian nobles and their families, and close friends of Van all come for the birthday celebration ball. Along with many beautiful young women; who were hopeful of Van's notice. Van wasn't looking forward to that part.


	5. 04 The Ball

**The Ball**

* * *

"I need to freshen up, I will met you in the ballroom," Hitomi told Van as they walked into the Castle. 

"All right, but don't take too long," Van replied as he let her arm slip from his and Hitomi walked off toward her room. Once there she washed any dust or dirt off of her slippers making them as good as new. Then they ran a comb through her hair and touched up her make-up. In a few minutes she looked as good as she did when she first left the castle.

"Hitomi?" Merle knocked on her door.

"Come on in Merle," Hitomi straightened her dress. Merle came into the room and looked Hitomi up and down.

"Whoa, you look great Hitomi," the cat girl said. Hitomi looked over at her, she was wearing a slightly off-white dress, her curly pink hair brushed neatly with little white flowers in it.

"You look nice too, Merle, you should dress like that more often," Hitomi teased as she put a green bead bracelet, which she had forgot she even had, onto her right wrist.

"We should get down to the ball room, the noble's daughters always attack Van for dances. I usually get stuck dancing with him all night to keep the girls at bay," Merle sighed, "But now you're here and I am sure he'd rather dance with you all night. Oh yeah, here" Merle tossed Hitomi a green mask.

"What is this for?" Hitomi asked.

"Its sort of a masquerade party, everyone gets to pick up a mask, you don't really have to wear it," Merle slipped her own tiger stripped mask onto her head. "I remembered your dress was green so I snatched you that one." Hitomi held the mask in her hand and motioned Merle to lead the way.

Merle led Hitomi toward the ballroom, "Why do they all want to dance with Van?" Hitomi asked as they walked.

"You mean besides that they all want to become queen?" Merle asked as if Hitomi was dense.

"So they all just want to marry Van to become queen? That seems just… stupid," Hitomi remarked.

"Yeah, well that's why Van doesn't want to dance with any of them, all they do is try to seduce him," Merle said. They came up to a large open doorway. A sentry stood at the door and asked their names so he could announce whom had just arrived. "Merle and the Lady Hitomi," Merle told the man.

"Lady Merle and the Lady Hitomi!" the man shouted into the room. Then he blinked as he realized what he said, and looked at Hitomi as she and Merle walked into the ballroom. Other people looked up as they walked down a flight of steps that led to the dance floor. Van had a grateful look on his face and walked up to meet them, leaving a crowd of girls behind. Allen and Millerna were already on the dance floor; Millerna was in a lovely dress that was made of different shades of pink.

"Can I have this dance, Lady Hitomi?" Van asked with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Oh course, M' Lord," Hitomi said with a touch of mockery in her tone. She took Van's offered hand. Van led her out onto the dance floor and stepped close to her, since it was a slow dance. He was delighted to find that Hitomi knew how to dance very well. He would have to ask her if they danced like this on the Mystic Moon.

Around them everyone had stopped dancing, even though the music still played. People withdrew and retreated to the sides of the dance floor, leaving it to the king and Lady Hitomi. Hitomi didn't notice this because her eyes were locked with Van's.

They danced like that for a song, and then Hitomi glanced off to notice they were alone of the floor, everyone watching the two of them. She suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Why did everyone stop dancing?" she asked in a whisper to Van.

"It's tradition to let the king have the floor for his first dance," Van explained, and then teased, "And a good few probably just want a good look at the Lady Hitomi."

Now that it was over, everyone moved back onto the floor. Hitomi had to learn this dance as they went, but it wasn't too complicated so she managed to get a hang of it quickly. In the dance they switched partners a lot, she found herself dancing with Allen one moment, one of the Fanelian samurai the next, then a noble she didn't know, and a few others, then she was back with Van. They danced for hours, Hitomi was worried her feet might fall off.

Finally Van led her off of the dance floor and out onto a balcony to cool off. It was a calm and cool night outside, the sky was littered with stars and the moon hung lazily in the sky. The Mystic Moon also hung in the sky like a bright swirling blue, white, and green orb. It had vanished when Hitomi had gone home before… Van was kind of nervous that it still being there meant Hitomi might still be forced to leave…

"It's a beautiful night," Hitomi commented as the looked up at the sky.

"Yeah…" Van looked at her, he could feel an ache in his heart every time he looked at her. "Hitomi…" Van said softly after a moment.

"Yes, Van?" Hitomi tore her gaze from the Mystic Moon and looked at the young king.

Van reached up and took something hidden under his shirt collar out, unclasping it and taking it off from around his neck. "This is yours…" he held out the pink pendent her grandmother had given her.

"I gave it to you when I left…" Hitomi protested.

"Yes, but now that you are back, I think you might need it again…" Without letting her argue anymore he reached around her and clasped it gently about her throat. Hitomi reached up and fingered the smooth pinkish red stone. Van watched her a moment, then started to speak.

"Since the first time I saw you I knew there was something special about you. I owed you my life that night; I would have been killed by that dragon; there on the Mystic Moon. Then for saving me you ended up getting pulled up the shift along with me and thrown into Gaea. I can only imagine what you had felt like, being pulled into a strange new world filled with things you had never seen before." Van looked at her, then sighed. "I thought you a burden then… I was so stubborn and had so much on my mind I didn't even bother to see what was right in front of me. You seemed like such a strange and peculiar girl, I didn't know what to make of you. Still, I was responsible for you being here and it was my duty to see you home, just as Balgus reminded me." Van admitted as she looked out at the grounds beyond the balcony.

"It was after Fanelia was destroyed and we had escaped, I found that we had been separated and went to find you. I was so scared something had happened to you, and that I had failed in my duty to protect you as I had in my duty to protect Fanelia. When I found Allen standing over you and you were unconscious, I freaked out thinking that he had hurt you. I regret my actions now, but then it seemed like the right thing to do. Lucky for us things worked out for the best." Van chuckled at the memory of Allen giving him a hard lesson on picking his fights more wisely.

"Through all of our adventures I did all I could to protect you, but you ended up saving me just as much. That day on the flying fortress, when Dilandau attacked me from behind, I would have been killed if you hadn't showed up just in time to warn me, not the mention you're the one that led Allen and his men to me in the first place. And the day on the bridge when that spike from the airship would have killed me, you didn't just warn me, you shoved me out of the way just in time." Van looked over at Hitomi, who had been listening in polite silence. "I don't know when it started, but I grew to care about you. It wasn't just about honor and keeping my word about getting you home anymore. I wanted to protect you because I wanted to see you safe." He looked out at the view again.

"I even cared enough to reveal my wings to save you that day at the canyon, a secrets I shared openly only with Merle," Van sighed, then he went on, "I didn't realize it yet then, that I really loved you. Not until the day your heart stopped and you weren't breathing. When Prince Chid came and told us that what had happen, I felt like something inside of me was torn in two. When Allen grabbed Prince Chid and made the guards let us out, we all rushed to where Millerna was trying to get your heart going again. She was doing all she could be she just couldn't get you to breath. So I took over, and as I pounded on your chest to get your heart going I found myself saying that 'you can't leave me like this' and 'don't die'," Van was looking into the sky now as he continued to talk. "When you started breathing I was so relieved, we all were, really. You've made some true friends here."

"Then when Millerna was going to marry, I asked you unfairly to use your powers to help me fight… You slapped me and ran… I know I was being stupid then and wasn't really thinking about how you were feeling… I did go to apologize, but when I found you, and I saw you and Allen kissing on the bridge; I felt my heart break. I knew before you had some kind of feelings for Allen, maybe even loved him. I knew it, but even so I couldn't change how I felt… I hadn't even realized that I actually loved you… I guess I didn't want to admit that I did."

"As selfish as it may be, I was glad you choose not to marry Allen when he asked you. So much happened… It wasn't even that long of a time, but it seems like ages… Then it was all over, Dornkrik was dead, and the Zaibach Empire was in ruins. We finally had peace once again… but just as I was able to admit that I was in love with you, and you told me you loved me also, you had to leave," Van looked down from the sky and stared at the ground below again. Hitomi had listened quietly, not sure what to say as Van spoke. The whole time he had looked skyward or at the ground, only giving Hitomi quick glances.

"I'm back now Van… and I am not leaving you again," Hitomi assured him and Van finally looked at her. Hitomi had tears in her eyes and was looking at him openly, her eyes saying it all; she still loved him.

Hitomi stepped up and embraced him. He wrapped his arms around her and gently held her, though it was almost possessively like he wouldn't let anyone or anything take her from him now. They just stood like that for a good while, ignoring the world around them and the music from the ballroom. Then Van took his arms from around Hitomi and made her look up at him.

"We should get back inside," the young king said softly to Hitomi, he leaned down and placed a very soft and gentle kiss to her lips. Hitomi welcomed the kiss, leaning into it, wanting it just as much as he did. Van reluctantly had to make himself draw back, a little breathless, before taking her by the arm and leading her back inside.

Allen and Millerna were sitting at a table together, resting their feet, so they went and joined them. Hitomi noticed Merle dancing with a boy that was just like her, you know, cat like, though he looked more like a cheetah then tiger.

"Hey Van, Hitomi, and I trying to talk Millerna into singing," Allen grinned.

"I can't sing very well, but he wont listen," Millerna explained with a sigh.

"Can you sing Hitomi?" Van asked, curious again. Hitomi blinked then blushed a little.

"A little, but I'm not very good. I was in a choir at school for a few years, but I was always to busy with Track to really do any solos or anything and I had to skip all of the concerts and stuff," Hitomi laughed.

"Then you sing Hitomi, go up and sing a Mystic Moon song," Allen coaxed.

"Yes, I'd love to hear a song from the Mystic Moon," Millerna smiled, since if Hitomi went up she wouldn't have too.

"I couldn't," Hitomi shook her head back and forth, "Plus the band wouldn't know the tunes."

"They can pick the note up as you sing," Van assured her.

"Please Hitomi," Millerna said.

She looked around at the three of them… then sighed, "Alright I guess… But you guys have to come up and stand near the stage, and nobody better laugh at me," Hitomi said at last.

"Ok," Millerna agreed with a triumphant smile.

"What song are you going to sing, Hitomi?" Allen asked as he stood up and the four of them walked toward the small stage.

"I don't know yet…" Hitomi said. The three girls had finished their song and a man that was working at an announcer or something got on the stage and asked if anyone else would like to sing a song.

"Fridark, the Lady Hitomi has agreed to sing a song," Van called to the man.

"Well, then come on up Lady Hitomi," the guy Fridark said. "Ladies and Gentlemen, a special treat, the girl would helped save our world from the Zaibach Empire, The Lady Hitomi, is going to sing us a song," Fridark retreated from the stage, Van and Allen lifted Hitomi up and she walked out on the center of the stage. She wished people would stop bringing up her involvement with the fall of Zaibach… she wasn't some kind of hero.

She had thought of the song she wanted to sing, so she glanced at the band that was behind her and sighed, would they be able to pick up the tune? She turned her eyes to the crowd and found that everyone had stopped dancing and were watching her. She swallowed… damn them for talking her into this…

"The Song I am going to sing comes from far away from here, from where I come from. Its called 'Yubiwa'," Hitomi cleared her throat and started singing.

_namida ga ato kara afuredashite  
saigo no egao ga nijinde mienai no  
ikanaide ikanaide koko ni ite  
sora e hikari kakanuketeyuku_

_konna ni shiisana watashi dakedo  
anata w dare yori seiippai ai shita  
arigatou ikutsu mono taisetsu na kimochi  
te watashi kureta yo ne_

_"sono toki zutto, watashi wa kiekaketa hikouki gumo wo miteita..."_

_wasurenaide  
hitorijanai  
hanaretemo te wo tsunaideiru  
hajimete no koi hajimete shitta  
konna kanashimi wo aru koto_

_nanika ga shoumetsu shitemo nanika ga futatabi yadotte  
wakare ni kureta hohoemi wa tsuyoku ikiyou to iu anata kara no meseeji_

_itsuka kitto aeru  
futari naraba  
tookutemo hitomi mitsumeau  
kibou to yume no subete kakete  
yakusoku wo shiyou yo  
ano hi no hageshisa wo daite  
ashita saku mirai wo ikiru_

Hitomi finished and looked around. The room was quiet for a moment, but then applause broke out all over. Van jumped up onto the stage and walked over to her. Hitomi gave a little bow and turned to the approaching Van.

"I thought you said you couldn't sing," Van accused with a smile.

"I can't, there are much better singers where I come from, I think I am just average," Hitomi said and she and Van got off the stage.

"Lord Van, may I speak to you for a moment?" a rather round man asked. Van looked at Hitomi.

"Go ahead Van, I'll go and sit with Millerna and Allen," Hitomi assured him.

"Ok, I'll only be a moment," Van said and he and the round gentlemen walked over to a group of men and they started talking. Hitomi walked over to Millerna and Allen.

"Where is Van?" Allen asked.

"Some people needed to talk with him so I told him to go ahead," Hitomi sat down at the table.

"Those are some of the Fanelian noblemen," Millerna said, "They are probably getting onto Van about the whole wife thing again."

"Wife thing?" Hitomi asked.

"The nobles want Van to marry as soon as he will and get a heir, they have been trying to push some of their daughters off on him, but he wasn't interested in any of them," Allen chuckled.

"Why not?" Hitomi asked.

"Because he is still in love with you, of course," Merle said as she flopped down on a chair. Hitomi hadn't noticed her come up.

"Oh… I didn't mean to cause him trouble…" Hitomi said.

"Hitomi, do you love Van?" Millerna asked flat out. Hitomi blinked and looked down at her hands, knowing her face was turning a shade or two of red. She knew Merle and Allen were watching her just as intently as Millerna. Well, was she really in love with Van? She had thought she was in love before but they all ended up being just crushes that she got over, but Van… Since she realized she cared about him she felt warmth inside she hadn't felt before. She felt safe in his arms, and she would do anything for him…

"Yes… I do love him…" Hitomi admitted aloud at last.

"Then don't worry about it," Millerna smiled.

"M'lady, may I have this dance?" a young man had walked to their table and held his hand out to Hitomi. Hitomi blinked and looked at him. His voice was soft and noble sounding. He was dressed in a black outfit with trims of red and he was wearing one of the masquerade masks, so she couldn't really make out his face. His hair was shockingly white and semi long, pulled back into a ponytail, all but a lock that hung in his face, over the right side of his face. Hitomi glanced at Millerna, who got up and grabbed Allen's arm, dragging him back out onto the dance floor. Since they were going out, Hitomi turned back to the guy and took his hand. He led her out the floor and automatically Hitomi could see that he was an excellent dancer. His movements were smooth and graceful. His hold on Hitomi was light and gentle. Hitomi started getting the feeling she knew him from somewhere though… Most of her close friends from Gaea were here already… She felt it was important she remembered.

"What is your name?" Hitomi asked.

"Just call me Lander, Lady Hitomi," the guy replied.

"Ok Lander, please just call me Hitomi, I don't really care for being called Lady all of the time," Hitomi said, then on a second thought, "Have we met before? Maybe just briefly, maybe when I was here last, three years ago?"

"Perhaps…" Lander smiled. As they swayed, more light shun in Lander's face and at just the right angle that Hitomi saw his eyes though the mask, which were strangely a velvety red color. What was it about those eyes… Someone she had seen or met, had had eyes like that… She remembered, someone evil and a tad bit demented had eyes like that. But Lander's eyes weren't wild like a lunatic's. He seemed totally calm and almost peaceful.

"So Hitomi… what is the secret of you power?" Lander asked. Hitomi blinked and looked up at him startled at the question.

"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked.

"Oh just wondering. I've heard that you can see into the future and into the past. I've heard that you can predict mishap by playing with a deck of cards, and pinpoint invisible enemies with your mind. I've heard that you could talk to the dead and create shifts. You legend has grown much, since Zaibach was defeated," Lander explained smoothly.

"Some of it is true, but I wont tell you which are fact and which are fiction," Hitomi said, slightly irritated by her own popularity.

"Aw… why not?" Lander fake pouted. Hitomi then noticed that they had danced away from the rest of the dancers and were near the balcony doors. They were almost totally across the huge room from everyone else.

"Um, Lander, we kind of strayed off from the ball," Hitomi took her arms from around his neck to stop dancing. But Lander didn't let go of her waist. "Please let go."

"Not just yet," Lander pulled her out onto the balcony and shut the doors.

"I swear I'll scream if you don't let me back inside…" Hitomi treatened, suddenly scared. She was getting a very uneasy feeling about this man.

"Oh don't do that, or I might have to silence you for good, and that would be messy," Lander said, he had his face turned away from her.

"Who are you?" Hitomi demanded. Lander looked at her and she met his eyes, the same revenge filled eyes she had seen in her short vision the night before. Those eyes… the white hair… and how he wore a lock of hair over his right cheek as if to conceal something… and even his voice, which sounded fake… Why hadn't she seen it before.

"Come on foreseer, you should know who I am…" Lander taunted. The tone of his voice even changed now that he wasn't pretending anymore.

"No… It can't be… Dilandau is gone, Celena returned to being just Celena. Allen said she was doing fine and is back home in Asturia…" Hitomi whispered. Lander or whom ever it was started laughing.

"I should consider myself lucky… I had never dreamed that I would pay back everyone who had caused me grief. Van Fanel… Allen Schezar…" he spat the names with much hatred and disgust, "Were at the top of my list, along with a certain girl, who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to help Van ruin my life. I would have killed Van that day on the air ship, but what happens? You just happen to show up and warn him to turn around, so this is as much your fault as it is Van's… " Lander tucked the lock of hair behind his ear and pulled off his mask, giving it a toss. He glared at Hitomi and ran a finger over the scar on his right cheek. "Then in Asturia I would have had him that day on the bridge, but who shows up just in time to shove him out of the way? You, and you've ruined many more things for me. But that girl had left this world and I thought she was never to return, but looky here! You're back…"

"But you can't be here… When Dornkirk was killed you turned back into Celena Schezar…" Hitomi exclaimed, she was very much confused and very much frightened. Dilandau had been mad.

"Wrong. At first Celena and I were one, but when Dornkirk was killed, my essence broke away from Celena's body and after months of struggle, and with a little help, reformed it's own body... Now I am what I am…" Dilandau smirked.

"What are you going to do?" Hitomi asked as she backed up against the balcony rail.

"Oh we'll take over the world of course, but all in do time. For now I just want to get back at Van, and what better way them to kill the one he loves the most?" Dilandau said. Hitomi glanced behind her, the balcony was many levels above the ground below, and she wouldn't survive the jump.

"But I can't kill you just yet, my new friends want to meet you first, one of them should be here any moment to pick us up," Dilandau glanced at the sky. Just then, someone started to open the door to the balcony. Dilandau quickly held it shut.

"Hey!" Merle's voice called angrily from the other side of the door. Hitomi could make out the band changing songs and playing a faster tune off in the distance.

"Merle! Get Van quickly!" Hitomi yelled. Dilandau grabbed her by the hair, pulling her roughly to him as he let go of the door go to use his free hand to cover her mouth, but it was already to late.

Inside Merle blinked, Hitomi was in trouble, "Lord Van!" the cat girl ran off on all fours toward the group of nobles in which Van was the center.

"That was stupid of you, Hitomi," Dilandau hissed in her ear. He let her go and took a dagger out of his right boot. With a hard strike, he jammed it in the doors so they could not be opened. He then took out another dagger and looked at the sky again, "Where the hell are you Dragdew," he hissed under his breath. Then pounding came from the other side of the door.

"Hitomi!" Van's voice yelled from behind the door.

"Van! It's Diland…" Dilandau grabbed Hitomi and held his hand over her mouth again.

"If you say another word I will throw you from the balcony!" Dilandau drug her until they were up against the rail again. People were slamming into the door trying to open it. The door started to give, and Dilandau saw no sign of his 'friend'. Just then the door gave way, Van and Allen stumbled out onto the balcony. They drew their swords and looked at Hitomi and Dilandau.

"It can't be…" Allen gasped once recollection filled his eyes of the white haired young man with the scar on his right cheek and blazing red eyes full of madness.

"Are you ok, Hitomi," Van asked, he took his eyes off of Dilandau just long enough to see her nod. Then he and Allen took a step forward.

"Uh-uh," Dilandau slid his dagger out in front of Hitomi's throat, "Don't want her blood on your hands now do you?"

"How can this be, your dead!" Allen growled.

"Oh, I was never dead, just sleeping and biding my time," Dilandau smirked.

Suddenly Hitomi's mind was full of images. Green flame firing out at Van and Allen from behind. A beast with glowing green eyes lifting Dilandau from the balcony, "Van! Allen! Get down!" Hitomi screamed as a sudden jet of green flame blasted toward the balcony entrance. Van and Allen were able to leap out of the way just in time. The people who were standing inside, like Merle and Millerna had to leap back as the doorway exploded in flame. Van and Allen rolled to their feet and were back up, swords ready.

"About time!" Dilandau snapped as he jumped up onto the balcony rail. He pulled Hitomi up after him. A shadowy figure with glowing green eyes hovered in the air above them. It dove down and hovered just below the balcony, leathery wings beating the air.

"Let her go Dilandau!" Van demanded; he and Allen started forward again.

Dilandau had to put his dagger back into his boot so he could hang onto Hitomi with both hands, but Hitomi took advantage of it and shoved him off the rail, which he was balancing on carefully. But the push made Hitomi loose her footing as well and they both fell from the balcony.

"Van!" Hitomi reached her hand out toward him as she fell backwards.

"Hitomi!" Van dropped his sword and dived for the balcony rail, he reached out for her but just missed. Dilandau fell in the opposite direction, but the shadow beast moved and caught him on it's back.

"Hitomi!" Van jumped up onto the balcony rail and dove off after her.

"Van!" Allen stared down at Van as he dove down after Hitomi.

Van's shirt ripped and fell the shreds as two large white, feathered wings burst from his back. With a powerful beat of the wings he caught up with Hitomi and took her hand. He pulled her to him and redirected his wings to stop their descent. It wasn't as far of a fall as the canyon so he only was able to slow their fall before they hit the ground. Van's wings quickly disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

Above Dilandau and the Shadow Beast watched with some disbelief. Allen watched as well but not in surprise; he already knew of Van's wings.

Still holding Hitomi in his arms, Van glared up at Dilandau who was looking down from the back of the shadow beast. Then the beast turned and flew north. Van, Hitomi, and Allen watched as it disappeared from sight. People were rushing out onto the balcony now, Merle and Millerna stood on either side of Allen and looked down to see Hitomi and Van safe.

Van ignored everyone who was rushing out here and there. He just held Hitomi close; her slender body was still shaking a little. After telling some of the nobles and servants that he and the Lady Hitomi were quite all right, he led Hitomi into the Castle. He sent a sentry to find Allen, Princess Millerna, and Merle, and to direct them to his private quarters.

Hitomi sat on Van's bed with one of his blankets wrapped around her shoulders. A servant had brought a pot of hot tea, so she was sipping on a cup. Millerna and Allen came in, soon followed by Merle, who had to see the guest off home.

"That was Dilandau, wasn't it," Millerna said.

"It sure looked like him," Merle agreed.

"It was him," Van confirmed coldly.

"But Celena is fine, she is at home back in Asturia right now, I saw her myself a few days before I came here. How can Celena and Dilandau be at two places at once?" Allen demanded.

"Dilandau told me…" Hitomi managed to say, "That when Durnkirk was killed, Dilandau's essence left Celena's body and took on its own form."

"I guess that can be possible," Millerna said, "With all the strange and dark magic and sciences Durnkirk and his wizards fooled around with, who knows…"

"What was that beast that breathed green flame?" Allen asked. "It looked almost like a dragon in shape, but I've never heard of it's like before…"

"I don't know, but Dilandau called it Dragdew… Could it be some kind of rare shadow dragon perhaps?" Hitomi asked.

"A dragon? It did seem like it was shaped dragon like, but I am not so sure…" Van said.

"Why did Dilandau try to kidnap Hitomi?" Merle wanted to know.

"To get revenge most likely," Millerna said.

"Only partly," Hitomi said, "he said that his 'friends' wanted to met me, and I take it that the shadow dragon has something to do with his new 'friends'."

"We will have to make sure Dilandau doesn't get a second chance at taking Hitomi," Allen stated flatly, no questions about it.

"The guard will be doubled, but one thing worries me," Van said.

"What?" Allen asked.

"Dragons are very powerful, so why didn't it just attack us tonight instead of flying off with Dilandau?" Van asked.

"Perhaps it didn't want to injury Hitomi, or maybe it didn't want Dilandau to get harmed," Merle suggested.

"Maybe…" Van stared off in thought.

"Well I doubt they well come back tonight, so I say we should all go and get some rest," Millerna said.

"Yeah, you go ahead Millerna, I will catch up with you in a moment," Allen said.

"Alright, see you in our room," Millerna left the room and walked toward the quarters she and Allen shared. Hitomi had to loft a brow; she hadn't known they were sharing a room… it was about time. Allen had better be marrying her soon.

"Van…Who all knows about your wings?"

"A few of the older castle servants, samurai, and nobles might remember, but most don't. None of them would say anything about it anyway… You, Millerna and those others who were on the ship that day when I lost control are the only ones outside of Fanelia who know."

"Dilandau saw them, Van," Hitomi reminded him.

"Yes, but we can't do anything about that now, all that matters is that we're all safe for the time being," Van said. "Merle, I don't want Hitomi in that room alone, can you be her roommate for the time being?"

"Yeah Van, I'll have the servants move a second bed in there first thing in the morning, I think I should go change out of my party clothes, you should to Hitomi. It's a miracle that your dress hasn't been ruined by all that excitement," Merle ran off. Allen bid them goodnight and left as well.

Van and Hitomi just sat there in silence for a moment, and then Hitomi stood up and called for a servant. She had her pajamas brought to her and changed in Van's private restroom. The servant took Hitomi's ruffled dress to be cleaned. Hitomi washed off all of the make-up Millerna had put on her and took down her hair. She ran a comb she found in Van's restroom through it, and put it all up into a ponytail. When she was done she went back out into Van's room and looked at Van, who was sitting on the bed. Van had a far away look he gets when he was deep in thought, so Hitomi didn't say anything as she sat down next to him. He glanced over at her and saw that she looked worried and sad.

"Are you ok Hitomi?" Van asked.

"Why can't we ever have time to ourselves when we are safe and sound and don't have to worry for our lives?" Hitomi said, she realized that tears were burning her eyes. "Why do the visions have to start up again? Why does the fighting have to start again? Why can't we have our happy ending? Our happily ever after?"

"Because nothing ends, Hitomi. Even after we die, it can continue. A soldier may fall in battle, but the battle doesn't end for anyone but that soldier. Our first quest is over, but just because the Zaibach Empire was defeated doesn't mean all evil has been wiped away from this world. You've been giving a gift to help save us, though for you it may also be a curse, but it's who you are. We will have to just do what we can to stop Dilandau and his shadow beast," Van wrapped his arm around Hitomi and she leaned into him.

"Van… when did you get all wise and enlightened about life?" she half joked, then she sobered, "If anything happens to me, I want to make sure you know I still love you, I have ever since I first left here, and even before that…" Hitomi looked up at him. He met her forest green eyes and held them.

"Hitomi, I've never found anyone that I've loved more, then I love you," Van told her. Hitomi smiled and soaked up the warm and loving look in Van's brown gaze. Van kissed Hitomi's forehead and just held her. They sat like that until Van realized Hitomi had fallen asleep in his arms. He gently laid her down on his bed, taking a moment to take in the innocent look on Hitomi's sleeping face. He covered her up and took some extra blankets out of his closet, using them to make a bed on the couch near the bed. He lied down and watched Hitomi's sleeping form for about an hour. Finally he closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

* * *

An English translation for "Yubiwa" can be found at AnimeLyrics . com.

* * *


	6. 05 To Fly

**To Fly**

* * *

The next morning Hitomi woke yawning. She wipe a bit of sleep from her eyes and looked around and realized she must have fallen asleep leaning against Van the night before. She spotted Van's sleeping form lying on a couch a few feet away. He had given the whole king sized bed to her and had slept on the couch, what a gentleman.

As if feeling Hitomi's eyes on him, Van stirred and woke, his brown eyes coming to look over at her as she sat up on his bed looking back at him. "Did you sleep well?" he asked as he pushed his blankets off and sat up himself.

"Very well," Hitomi stretched then climbed out from under the covers. "You didn't have to sleep on the couch you know, this bed is large enough to handle like five people, two would fit with a lot of room to spare."

" I didn't mind sleeping on the couch, I just didn't really want you sleeping in your room alone last night anyway. Tonight Merle will be rooming with you so I know you wont be alone," Van glanced at Hitomi, then walked to his dresser to get something to wear for the day.

"What time is it?" Hitomi looked at the sunlight beating in Van's window.

"Looks like Midmorning," Van said.

"We missed breakfast them, the others are probably wondering where we were," Hitomi stood up and walked to the door, gods know what kind of things Merle was picturing, or Millerna and Allen.

"After lunch, meet me and Merle in the courtyard, I want to take you up to the mountains…" he looked over at her and smiled, "so we can see if you can sprout wings." He turned back to his clothe search, "There we will be alone and wont be interrupted. I think the soon we know if you did inherit the wings, and you learn to use them, you will have a line of defense," Van slid a clean shirt on over his head, Hitomi couldn't help but have been watching him the whole time, a shirtless Van was a pleasant enough sight. He turned back to her, "I don't want something like last night to be repeated again. If you're going keep falling off things, you are going need to learn to fly."

"But we don't know if it's possible I could have wings. I mean you'd think they would have shown up in the eighteen years I've been alive, if I had. And I'm only like a eighth Draconian; even if the Atlantian blood is dominate," Hitomi protested.

"We wont know unless we try," Van pointed out.

Hitomi sighed, "All right, I'll see you after lunch," she game him a smile, then walked out of the room. She was still in her pajamas, so she got some funny looks from some of the castle servants and Fanelian samurai that she pasted on the way to her room. When she got there, she found Merle making a second bed that had been brought into the room earlier that morning.

"Good morning, Hitomi," Merle gave her a scandalous look that made Hitomi blush, "_Sleep_ well?"

"It's none of your business, cat," Hitomi said as she picked up her brush from the dresser and started running it through her dusty blond hair. "I need to cut my hair."

"Why? Its beautiful," Merle tossed the finishing touch, a stuffed bunny, onto her bed.

"I would just like it shorter," Hitomi said.

"You aren't going to cut it as short as you had it before are you?" Merle demanded, as if she wouldn't have it.

"No, but I would like it a few inches shorter, then it would be easier to manage but still be enough to style," Hitomi looked at her hair in the mirror.

"Well in that case I can cut it," Merle said.

"Have you ever cut hair before?" Hitomi gave the catgirl a skeptical look.

"Yes, I've cut hair many times, I cut Van's hair," Merle said defensively. Like taking credit for Van's wild black hair was a good vouch on her hair cutting skills…

"Ok then, do you think you could do it before lunch today?" Hitomi said.

"Sure, but why so soon?" Merle wanted to know.

"Van is taking me out after lunch, you are supposed to come too," Hitomi explained.

"Really? Where are we going?" Merle gave Hitomi a questioning look, though there was underlying excitement at going somewhere.

"You'll find out when we get there, I would rather keep it a secret until then," Hitomi looked down at the floor.

"Ok, have it your way. I'll be right back. My cutting scissors and combs and stuff are still in my room," Merle said and she stepped out of the room. Hitomi sighed and picked up some clothes to wear that day. Merle came back and set some things on the cabinet in the small bathroom connected to the room. "We need to wash your hair first," Merle said as she handed Hitomi the bottle of shampoo she had brought from her world.

"Ok," Hitomi walked to the bathtub and turned on the warm water. She was relieved that they had running water… though they had a different method of warming it, at least that was one thing she didn't have to miss back home. While Merle set up, Hitomi washed her long blond hair. When Hitomi was done. Merle handed her a drying cloth and led her to a stool. When Hitomi's hair was dried slightly, Merle put a clothe around her shoulders and started combing it out.

"You want it to be just above shoulder length right?" Merle asked as she picked up her scissors.

"Yeah, about that," Hitomi confirmed. Merle started snipping here and there. Out of the corner of her eye, Hitomi could see dusty blond hair fall to the floor. Merle put down her scissors and ran a comb through Hitomi's hair again. After a few more finishing snips and combing, she stepped back and looked Hitomi over.

"I think that's good," Merle turned Hitomi's chair so she could see into the mirror. Hitomi's once long hair was now slightly less then shoulder length. At least three inches of her hair littered the floor.

"Thanks Merle, I'll never doubt your hair cutting abilities again," Hitomi said as she pulled the cloth off from around her shoulders and stood up. Her head felt lighter without all of the extra hair.

"No Biggy," Merle grinned as she picked up the large locks of hair off of the floor and put it into a waste bin. She then swept up the rest, picked up her stuff and left the bathroom.

Hitomi took a quick bath and got dressed into the white spaghetti-strap blouse and a pair of blue-jean shorts she had picked out earlier. She looked into the mirror as she brushed her now shoulder length hair, which felt softer split-end free from the fresh trim. Merle was sitting in the room filing her claws/nails with a nail file she wore around her neck. Hitomi sat down on her bed and pulled on some clean socks and her sneakers.

"They should be serving lunch soon, so we should head to the dinning hall," Merle said, and she hopped up off of her bed and started out the door with Hitomi behind her. The dinning hall was filled with less Fanelian samurai and others then usual. Lunch and Breakfast were the slowest meals, but at dinner the dinning room was full of people. Van sat at the head of the table, Allen and Millerna sat at his left and there were two chairs empty to his right, which were for Hitomi and Merle. Van turned to Hitomi as she sat down beside him.

"The haircut suits you, but I liked it long too," he reached over and ran his fingers through it.

"I felt like a change," Hitomi smiled, her heart fluttering at such a small gesture as his running his fingers though her hair.

"Hitomi, you should really adopt some new clothes as well, I have nothing against what your wearing now, but it does make you stand out a little," Millerna smiled good-humoredly. Hitomi had noticed that some of the resident samurai had stared at her. Her outfit showed more skin then they were used to seeing openly.

"I have something I would like you to wear when we go out today, actually," Van said.

"Oh? Ok, then maybe Millerna, Merle and I can go down to the market place tomorrow and get me some Fanelian style outfits," Hitomi suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," Merle smiled, loving the idea of an all girl shopping-trip.

"Allen, you'll come too, wont you?" Millerna looked at the longhaired Asturian knight.

"You only want me to go so that I can carry your bags," Allen sighed with mock injury.

"So you're coming right?" Hitomi grinned.

"For you lovely ladies? Of course…" Allen smiled, but didn't sound very excited, more like defeated.

"Better you then me, Allen," Van smirked. Some kitchen staff brought in the meal and everyone ate. Van told Merle and Hitomi to come with him and they parted ways from Allen and Millerna.

"So Lord Van, what are we going to do this afternoon? Hitomi wouldn't tell me," Merle said as the walked into Van's room. The catgirl was almost bouncing with anticipation.

"We'll tell you when we get there," Van said as she walked over to a large chest and messed around with the lock. He finally got the lock off and opened the chest. Inside there were clothes folded up neatly and with much care. Van picked up a beautiful dark blue dress with trims of yellow and red.

"Oh those are beautiful Van," Hitomi said, as she looked the dress over in awe.

"It was my mothers," Van said, "All of the clothes in here belonged to my mother."

"Oh… then why are you showing them to us?" Hitomi asked, confused.

"I want you to wear one today," Van said.

"But they're your mother's," Hitomi cried, she couldn't wear something of Varie's… It didn't seem right.

"Yes, but they were specially made for her," Van said and Hitomi looked at the dress again, that's when she understood what he meant. The back of the dress was cut out. From about two inched above the back of the waist to the shoulders was left open. A strap that held behind the wear's neck that hooked together was the only thing that held the shoulder straps together. That way, if the person wearing the dress had wings, they didn't have to ruin the dress when they let their wings out. She could understand why Van would want her to wear one of these.

"Alright then," Hitomi picked out a white blouse that was made like the dress, with a low back. It was fancy and looked like something a princess would wear, not a girl from the Mystic Moon. Hitomi stepped into Van's restroom and slipped out of her blouse and slipped on Van's Mother's blouse. She was surprised by how well it fit her. Van seemed please by how well Hitomi seemed to fit into his mothers clothes as well.

"Lets get going, I have a carriage waiting for us in the courtyard," Van said. He took Hitomi's arm and led her out, Merle trailed right behind them, still bouncing.

(break)

On the carriage ride to the mountains, Van and Hitomi filled Merle in on why they were really going on this little trip.

"No way! So you may have wings like Lord Van too?" Merle squealed, more delighted then most people from Gaea would be to finding out someone was a Draconian descendant.

"Maybe, but I might not have inherited that trait from my mother, and my father is fully human," Hitomi said with a shrug.

"Your still a eighth, and the wings is a dominanttrait, you should have them," Van said, "Folken and I were only half, and we inherited them."

"Van, does it hurt? When you let your wings out I mean," Hitomi asked.

"Not hurt really, it's more like a pressure being released, but it can itch a little," Van smiled reassuringly. "The hard part is learning to use your wings right, if you don't you can brake them and hurt yourself."

"Oh…" Hitomi said, not having even thought of that aspect of it.

"Are you scared Hitomi?" Merle asked, seeing the look on the older girls face.

"A little," Hitomi admitted with an attempt of a brave smile.

"Don't worry, I won't let you fall," Van assured her. He took her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze. The carriage started to slow and came to a stop.

"We've arrived, Lord Van," the coachman announced as he opened the carriage door.

"Thank you Frodu, return for us here before nightfall," Van said as he helped Hitomi and Merle down out of the carriage. The coachman Frodu bowed and climbed back to the driver sit of the carriage. The three watched the carriage leave down the dirt road. Van then led the girls toward a trail, which they walked on for a few minutes.

"How much farther, Lord Van?" Merle asked, already bored.

"Not far," Van said as he held a branch back out of Merle and Hitomi's way. Hitomi had to smile at Merle's sigh. It wasn't much longer before they came upon a clearing in the woods that led to a cliff. Below the cliff was a large meadow; it was where the carriage had left them. In the far distance Hitomi could see Fanelia; and the more used roads in and out of the city lay far away as well. They had come up on a less used road probably used by trappers and woodcutters; they would have privacy here.

"Ok, lets get started," Van said as he slipped off his shirt.

"Um ok…" Hitomi said, not sounding all that sure.

"Ok… Let's see… have you tired to free your wings before?" Van asked as Merle moved to a nearby tree and jumped up into it, sitting on a low branch to watch them.

"No, I only found out about my family history the day I arrived here," Hitomi admitted.

"Ok, then think about yourself as you are," Van said. Hitomi pictured herself in her mind, a tall, slender girl, with long legs, forest green eyes, and shoulder length dusty blond hair. "Now picture yourself with wings, like this," Van said and two white wings burst from his back. He spread them wide, gave them a few stretches, and then folded them to his back.

He made it look easy. Hitomi looked at his impressive wingspan and tried picturing herself like that. She closed her eyes and concentrated. What if she couldn't do it? Would Van be disappointed in her? He seemed excited by the idea she might have them…

"It's not working Van…" Hitomi sighed after a moment or two.

"It's not working because your afraid it won't work," Van accused. Van took Hitomi's hand and led her to the edge of the cliff. Hitomi looked down to see they were a long way from the ground below, a fall like that could kill. "I'll have to teach you like my mother taught us," Van explained.

"What do you mean?" Hitomi asked, but all Van did then was shove her off the cliff.

"Picture it Hitomi!" Van called after her. Hitomi was too afraid to even scream, she saw Van up above her looking down, and he grew farther and farther away as she continued to fall toward the hard ground below.

Van watched her fall for a second and was starting to worry it wouldn't work, when she continued to fall, he jumped down after her.

Hitomi closed her eyes and frantically pictured herself with wings. Nothing happened, it wouldn't work and she was going to die. But part of her seemed to awakem then. It seemed to fill her with reassurance, and she let go of her fear and just focused on what Van told her, instead of what was going to happen. Then she heard the beat of wings and thought Van wasn't going to let her hit the ground; she wasn't going to die. Relief filled her but she noticed something… she wasn't falling anymore, but she didn't feel Van holding onto her. Instead she felt a strange strain in the muscles of her back and shoulders.

"Hitomi, you need to take control, or you'll end up crashing! You should be able to control you wings by instinct!" Van urged, he sounded thrilled. Hitomi dared to open her eyes and found Van hovering a few feet in front of her. Hitomi glanced over her shoulder and found large white wings, just like Van's, beating the air awkwardly and untrained, trying to keep her aloft. Hitomi's wings were slightly smaller then Van's, and her wing-beats were messier then his, evidence that she didn't really know what she was doing. Her body seemed to know how to work the wings though, since she wasn't a bloody splotch on the landscape. The flapping was automatic, subconscious, like breathing.

"Oh my god…" Hitomi squeaked finally, only then realizing she had been holding her breath.

"You're doing it Hitomi!" Van flew closer and took her hands, "You may feel strain in your back muscles, but it will pass as you strengthen them," Van assured.

"Oh my god Van, I'm flying… With my own wings," Hitomi said, still not totally believing it to be true.

"Yes, you're flying, like an angel," Van smiled. "But we should go back up, you will get strained if we over do it today," Van said, and he started pulling Hitomi toward the top of the cliff, taking most of the work on his own wings so she didn't have to overwork her underused ones.

Above Merle was looking around for them when she spotted Van come up from below the cliff; a still awed looking Hitomi followed him. Van and Hitomi landed on the ground, folding their wings behind them, Van gracefully, Hitomi more clumsily.

"Wow… you really do have wings Hitomi!" Merle said, seeming as awed as the older girl.

"Yeah…" Hitomi said shackily as she caught a free feather that had come from her own wing. She looked at the feather, which gave off a dim glow just like Van's.

"We'll come back in a few days to strengthen your wings more, but for today let's practice letting your wings out and sealing them back into your body," Van said.

"Alright," Hitomi said with a small smile.

"Ok, when you want to take your wings back, it's a little harder them letting them go," Van explained, "Again picture yourself, this time with wings, and have them disappear. This may sting or burn a little, but nothing serious." Hitomi watched, as Van's wings seemed to shrink up into his body and disappear, leaving smooth skin behind. Hitomi swallowed and closed her eyes. She did it once, she could do it again. She pictured her winged self and concentrated on the wings absorbing back into her back. At first nothing happened, but then a crawling feeling seemed to run up her spine. When she opened her eyes she saw an approving expression on Van's face. "You're a fast learner Hitomi, it took me an hour to finally call my wings back the first time."

"This is still so amazing," Hitomi said as she glanced behind herself at her back, which was back to normal with no sign the wings had ever been there.

"Yeah," Van agreed with a small smile… but the look he was giving her seemed to imply he wasn't really talking about the whole thing with the wings. Hitomi blushed.

"You will have to remember never to show your wings in front of anyone but Lord Van and I," Merle mentioned, all high and mighty like since she was in the loop.

"But if you must let go of your wings to save your life, then do it," Van added. "Never put the secret over your own life."

They did some exercises, and Hitomi mastered letting her wings out and taking them back inside of her body with some practice. They did this for the rest of the day until the sky started to grow dark. They returned to the meadow that the carriage had dropped them off. Hitomi found that she was exhausted from all of the practice. They waited until the carriage came into sight. The coachman Frodu waved to them and slowed the couch until it stopped. Everyone got inside and they headed home. Hitomi didn't last the trip; she fell asleep leaning into Van.

Hitomi woke up in her room the next morning. Merle's bed was empty, but unmade, so she must have already gotten up and left earlier. Hitomi realized she was still wearing the clothes she had worn to the mountains the day before. Van must have just lied her down in her bed when they had gotten back to the castle. Hitomi groaned and got up. Looking out her window, she judged it must be late in morning, so she had missed breakfast again. A knock on her door made her forget about her stomach and wonder whom it was.

"Lady Hitomi? Lord Van has sent this to you," two servants carried in the chest that held Van's mothers old clothes. "He told us to tell you that you may wear them until you get some new attire of your own," the servant added as he and the other man bowed and left the room.

Hitomi stared at the chest for a moment then opened it up. After a few moments of looking through all of the lovely dresses, she picked out one that was a royal blue with trim of purple and red. It fit nicely, but Hitomi never did like long dresses. At least this was a light dress and not one of the big frilly ones like her green prom dress she brought from the Mystic Moon. Hitomi got dressed and left her room in search of food. She was very hungry for some reason; she couldn't remember ever being his hungry before… She found her way to the kitchen where cooks and kitchen staff were cleaning dishes after breakfast.

"May I help you?" A cook stopped what he was doing to walk over to Hitomi who was just standing there in the doorway.

"Oh, I missed breakfast and I was just looking for something to eat," Hitomi admitted a little embarrassed.

"Oh, well you'll have to just wait until lunch then," the cook dismissed her.

"Franko, do you know who this is?" someone said from behind Hitomi. Hitomi turned around to see a Fanelian samurai she had seen a few times around the castle. He had short black hair and dazzling green eyes.

"What ever do you mean, Dameon?" the cook Franko asked.

"Why, this is no other then the Lady Hitomi!" Dameon replied with a grin.

"The Lady Hitomi?" the cook gasped. "Oh I am so sorry M' Lady! I hadn't had the chance to catch a glimpse of you," He waved over some other servants, "Get the Lady what ever she wants!" he told the others.

"I don't want to be a burden, just some fruit or something will do," Hitomi said quickly.

"You heard the Lady!" Franko said to one of the servants. The servant, a young man turned and ran to the other side of the kitchen, he came running back with a bowl of fruit. But then he tripped and the bowl went flying. Hitomi caught what looked something like an apple and something that looked like an orange, but had to dodge most the other flying fruit. The Knight Dameon caught most of the other fruit, but some did hit the ground.

The bowl landed upside-down smack onto the cook Franko's head. Hitomi couldn't help but giggle, though she tried to cover it up, as the poor servant got up as Franko's face turned red with anger. "Fool! I should fire you for that!"

"I'm so sorry Franko," the young man bowed in apology.

"That is the last time Markus, you mess things up fair too much. You may be my sister's son, but you will never be a chief!" Franko yelled.

"Hey, don't be so hard on him, it was only an accident," Hitomi interjected.

"M' Lady, trust me when I say I am not hard enough on him," Franko snapped. Hitomi blinked, then she sighed and picked up some more fruit. Another servant handed her a new bowl so she put the still good fruit into it and left the kitchen. The Knight Dameon accompanied her.

"I've seen you around, but never really met you, your name is Dameon?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes, and I, along with every other samurai in Fanelia, know your name, Lady Hitomi," Dameon said with a small bow of his head.

"I'm starting to see that," Hitomi sighed.

"You're a heroine to everyone who lives here in Fanelia," the young knight remarked, surprised by her seeming to be less then happy about that fact.

"I only did what I had to do to stay alive and to help keep my friends alive," Hitomi explained.

"We don't always chose our own paths," Dameon smiled.

"Yeah but…" Hitomi stopped walking and dropped her bowl of fruit.

"M' Lady? Are you alright?" Dameon asked, startled.

* * *

Hitomi wasn't in the Fanelian Castle any more. She was standing in an open field, one she didn't recognize. There was no hills or mountains within her view, just waves of grass and more grass. She then was away she was standing in a ring with seven other girls.

The First girl had long, thick, raven black hair drawn into a neat braid that hung down her back all the way to her tailbone. Her brown eyes held a gentle light and her complexion was rich earthy reddish brown, like a Native American from the Americas. She was wrapped in cloths of browns and yellows.

The Second had bright clear blue eyes and long platinum blond hair that seemed to be tossed about gently with a wind that Hitomi herself did not feel. This girl was tall and slender, almost willowy in build, her complexion was clear and fair; she was wrapped in pale blues and grays.

The Third had curly coppery red hair, a bit longer then shoulder blade length. Her eyes were a smoky gray. Her complexion was fair with a faint hint of freckles. She was dressed in reds, oranges, and yellows.

The Fourth narrowed her eyes at Hitomi, dark brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that was a bit wild seeming and her eyes were a startling amber, almost gold, like a cats or bird of prey. Her skin was lightly tanned and weathered like she was used to sleeping outdoors. She wore velvety black and browns and grays laced with coppery veins.

The Fifth girl had short sandy blond hair that looked a little uneven like she may have cut it herself. Green eyes that were as dark as emeralds glared at the others in the circle. Her complexion was probably fair, but it was sun touched, lightly tanned from a life probably spent mostly outdoors. She was wrapped in different shades of green.

The Sixth girl's hair was ebony, thick and wavy, half pulled back in a tight knot to keep it in control. Startling crystal blue eyes peered at Hitomi from a creamy brown face. She was wearing many different shades of blue and Hitomi thought she might be the darkest of those standing there now, until she noticed a seventh girl she had overlooked.

The seventh and last girl stood away from the others. Hitomi could not see her face… She stood alone… shrouded in a smoothing darkness. She only knew it was a girl because of her figure… she was draped in shadow, but Hitomi could see violet eyes that almost seemed to glow and cut through the shadow. Recognition struck her; they were the same eyes she had seen in her vision of the eyes back on Earth.

Hitomi looked at the six girls, who seemed to be looking at her. None of them seemed to see the seventh girl solitary in her shadowy prison, but as Hitomi looked around, she got the feeling this was like no vision she had ever had. It felt like the girls around her were having the vision as well. Then the six girls changed. They were no long shrouded by colorful clothes, but instead were wearing normal clothing and by those, Hitomi could tell that most of the girls were from Earth or the Mystic Moon. Only the fourth and the fifth girl seemed to come from this world. Then to Hitomi's surprise, wings burst from the backs of all of the young women. "Our eyes now open, we have awaken… Thus we shall stand" They spoke almost as one, different voices saying the words in perfect unison. Hitomi was surprised to hear her own voice in chorus with theirs.

Then a dark shadow like the one shrouding the seventh girl came over them, and the girls disappeared from sight. Hitomi was alone, surrounded by the glowing eyes… like the ones she had seen in a vision before Dilandau showed up at Van's birthday celebration… like those in her vision back on Earth. They glared menacingly at her and made her blood run cold…

* * *

"Lady Hitomi?" the Fanelian samurai, Dameon, stood over her, his voice frantic.

"What?" Hitomi blinked, she was back in the castle again.

"Are you alright, Lady Hitomi?" Dameon had picked up the fallen fruit and handed it to Hitomi.

"Yes… I am fine, but I would like to talk to Lord Van, could you send a sentry to find Princess Millerna, the Knight Allen Schezar, and Merle for me?" Hitomi asked.

"Sure M' Lady," Dameon walked down the hall to find a sentry. Hitomi walked to her room and sat down on the bed. She was still really hungry, but her stomach was clutching slightly so she wasn't really willing to eat.


	7. 06 The First of the Six

**The First of the Six**

* * *

Merle was the first one to come to the room, "What's wrong Hitomi? I ran into Dameon and he said you wanted Me, Millerna, Allen, and Van to come to your room as soon as we could."

"I'll tell you when everyone is here," Hitomi told the catgirl with a sigh, rubbing her temples. Millerna and Allen came next, followed shortly by Van.

"What's wrong Hitomi?" Van asked as he closed her room door, concern in his voice and in his eyes. Hitomi half noticed the samurai Dameon was standing just outside in the hall when Van shut the door.

"I have a strange vision in the hallway a moment ago," Hitomi said after a moment of just looking around at her friends.

"Is something bad going to happen?" Merle asked, looking alarmed.

"Yes, but not right now, it was… Well like I said, it was strange; it felt like I wasn't the only one having the vision. There were six girls in my vision, each one different from the other, except each one sprouted wings, white feathered wings, Draconian wings," Hitomi looked at Van. She left the girl in shadows out since she still wasn't sure what to make of her. She had seemed to be part, yet a outsider, of the group. She hadn't even seen the shadow girls face for that matter.

"So? What does it mean?" Allen inquired gently, not wanting to push Hitomi if she didn't want to go into more detail. They all knew how painful and frightening Hitomi's visions could be for her.

Unnoticed by anyone, the door opened up a crack.

"I am not sure, but I don't think the girls are our enemy, they seemed to be… connected… Then my vision changed and the girls disappeared and I was in a dark place, with glowing eyes all around me. The glowing eyes I've seen three times before, first I saw them in a vision just before I returned to Gaea, then just before Van's birthday celebration, and lastly I saw some again when Dilandau's shadow beast appeared." Hitomi explained, looking up at her friends from where she sat.

"So Dilandau is going to make trouble?" Van asked, not commenting on the fact Hitomi had not mentioned her earlier vision to anyone.

"I think so… but I think the vision was not warning me of doom, but of the arrival of the six girls in my immediate future. By the clothing, I think four of them are from Earth… err…. The Mystic Moon," Hitomi offered.

"And why would a group of Draconian women be useful?" Millerna asked. "Not meaning any offense, Van, but unless they have Guymelef's as magnificent as Escaflowne, how can they be of any help?"

"I… don't know… but they seemed to be… I don't know… like warriors… but not…" Hitomi said. "I really wish I could tell you more, but I don't fully understand the vision myself. I usually don't know for sure until it happens."

"Ok… so what do we do about it?" Merle asked, looking at Van and the others.

"We keep a look out for shifts of light," Van said, "if Hitomi believe four will be travelers from the Mystic Moon, that would be a good place to start."

"We will also need to keep an eye out for any strange girls that we might come across," Allen nodded.

"Hitomi, describe the girls to us so we know what to watch out for," Millerna suggested. Hitomi thought back to the vision, and then slowly described the girls one by one the best she could.

"Perhaps we should put a notice out to the samurai to keep an eye out for these women as well?" Merle asked her king.

"Maybe, but not just yet. These women aren't criminals." Then looking over at the other man in the room, "Allen, weren't you taking the girls out to shop today?"

"Err… yeah…" Allen sighed, "It would be my honor to escort these lovely ladies down to the market."

"Well we can't do anything about Hitomi's vision girls until they show up. So lets get going with the shopping," Millerna smiled, things were too serious and tense in the room as it was anyway.

"Do you feel up to it Hitomi?" Van asked softly.

"Yeah," Hitomi smiled, getting over her after vision shakes. Some fresh air and some new outfits might make her feel better.

"Then I'll call for a carriage to be readied!" Merle ran out of the room to find the coachmen.

"I will wait in the courtyard," Allen said, but he took off in a different direction, Millerna following.

"Hitomi, have you eaten? The workout you got yesterday would have drained you," Van asked once the others were gone. Allen and Millerna might know about his wings, but only Merle knew Hitomi possessed the same.

"I haven't gotten a chance to eat yet, but don't worry, I am ok," Hitomi gave him a smile to reassure him.

"Please eat something before you go out," Van handed Hitomi a pouch of spending money, "Now I need to get back to the throne room, the nobles are debating over land," Van sighed and he walked out of the room. Hitomi sighed and took a bite of an apple-like piece of fruit, but it tasted more like a banana. After eating a few piece of fruit, Hitomi walked to the courtyard, where Merle, Millerna, and Allen waited in front of carriage as coachmen gave it a last minute look over. All of the girls then climbed into the carriage while Allen mounted up to ride beside them on horseback.

The marketplace was pretty busy that day; a caravan with new goods had just come into town that morning, so people came to see what was in. They stopped the carriage near the edge of the market and the four went the rest of the distance on foot. The coachman, Frodu, stayed with the carriage and the horses.

"Oh! Look at these Hitomi!" Merle squealed as she ran over to a shop window.

"Oh they are lovely," Hitomi said, as she looked up at some lovely dresses in many different colors and shades.

"The owner of this shop is one of the wealthiest merchants in Fanelia. He imports stuff from all over the world and our nobles just eat this stuff up," Merle explained.

"Hmm, wow, they've got some styles that are currently popular in Basram and Cesario. Oh those there are from Egzardia!" Millerna exclaimed, a sparkle in her violet eyes.

Merle eyed the princess from Asturia, "You sure know a lot about this stuff."

"I like to keep at the peck of fashion," the lovely princess replied with a small maidenly pose and a smile. Hitomi could only giggle as Merle rolled her eyes.

"How about we go in and try some on?" Millerna suggested. Both her female companions agreed, so soon the three girls found themselves inside, trying on different styles of clothing form many different countries. They tried them one, then came out to show the others opinions for their opinions; Allen just sat back watching, giving compliments and opinions when asked.

They were in there for almost two hours before the girls had their fill of all the exotic clothing. But they didn't leave without a good few packages of purchased outfits the girls just couldn't live without. Allen of course got the honor or carrying all of the ladies packages.

They did this at a few different shops, including the kind Cobbler who had given Hitomi her fine dancing slippers; this time he did accept payment for the pairs of shoes the three girls picked out. After each stop, Allen found he had to keep making trips back to the carriage to dropping off stuff so he didn't get overloaded; these women could shop!

They went on their shopping spree until the sun was heading toward the horizon. People were starting to head on home, so the street was full of homeward bond patrons. Hitomi and her friends were stopped from returning to the carriage by some kind of commotion near the Town Square. They went to see what was going on and found a man with his sword drawn, facing a young woman, also holding a sword.

Hitomi couldn't see the girls face; only that she had long dark brown hair that was pulled into a tight, high ponytail that split off wildly in different directions as it fell to just past her shoulder blades. The girl was dressed simply, like someone who dressed for function, not fashion. The man on the other hand seemed familiar to Hitomi, but she couldn't put her finger on where she had seen him before. That aside, she studied the scene as the two faced off.

The woman wore simple black trousers that seemed flexible as well as form fitting and a matching tunic top that looked as if the collar and arms had been cut out, leaving what was left looking kind of like a ragged tank top. A leather belt hugged the girl's waist, a sword sheath hanging from her left side along with a sheathed belt dagger and some pouches. She wore long boots that came up to just below her knees made of soft brown leather, with matching arm and wrist guards of harder leather and metal. The only other armor the girl wore was a simple chest plate the mostly protected her left breast, her heart, from harm, and small connected shoulder piece just above it.

She seemed to be a female warrior, which was not very common on Gaea. Hitomi wondered what the fight was about.

"You stupid winch!" Then the man lunged forward with a stab. A sloppy move, which the girl just sidestepped and brought the hilt of her own sword down onto the guys hand, making him loose his hold on the blade, which went sliding across the dirt. The guy blinked and seemed surprised that the woman had managed to dodge, let alone unarm him.

"You should really work on your swordsmanship," the woman said coolly. Her voice was calm, and rich, with a hit of irritation at her male opponent. She held her blade to his throat with one hand and took a bag from the man with the other. When she had it, she turned around and started walking away, tying the bag to her belt. Hitomi only caught a glimpse of the woman's face as she turned around and started walking the opposite direction. She was Hitomi's age, with eyes that were as bright as pure, untarnished gold.

"I'll show you," the man shouted, he pulled out a dagger and ran at the woman's exposed back. They a screech came from the sky. The woman turned around just as something dove down upon the man, clawing at his face with deadly talons. A hawk, or maybe some kind of falcon, although not any kind of either bird Hitomi had ever seen, but a bird of prey all the same, had attacked the man to stop him from attacking the woman while her back was turned. The bird then soared away; it zoomed over the heads of crowd, a blur of bluish gray, black, and silvery feathers. It slowed as it approached the woman, hovering a second as she lifted and held out her leather clad arm. The bird landed and glared back the man with fierce golden eyes; not so unlike in color as his apparent mistress's.

"RazorWing doesn't like scum that attack when their opponent turns their back," the woman said as she stroked the bird's breast feathers affectionately. He was a handsome beast, large for a falcon, but not for some species of hawks back on Earth, and not quite as large as some eagles. He had a bluish tint to his feathers, which ranged from black on his back to lighter silvery grays on his chest and belly and wingtips. He had a crest of feathers that swept back on his head, and a wicked yellowish-orange hooked beak made for tearing the flesh of prey, and yellowish-orange legs ended with large black talons, which were slightly bloody from slashing the man's face.

"You witch…" the man cursed, blood dipping from deep gashing on his face. He then turned and ran into the crowd. The woman simply watched him run away like the coward that he was.

While he ran, Hitomi remembered where she had seen him before. "That's the guy that grabbed my butt the other day in the market place while trying to steal my purse!"

Merle blinked, "Really?" The man was running right for them!

The man almost pushed Hitomi and Merle over, but Allen had caught Hitomi and helped her stand and Merle's cat reflexes helped her keep from ending up on the ground. Allan would have went after him, but some samurai guards had already caught the man before he could get much farther. They weren't the only ones to have watched the little scene unfold.

Hitomi looked back at the woman and found that the woman was staring right at her. Their eyes met and held, and Hitomi knew that the girl was the same one she had seen in her vision. The woman just stood there a moment, then turned away. She continued to just walk away, the hawk still preached on her arm.

"Allen, Millerna," Hitomi said softly.

"What is it Hitomi?" Millerna asked.

"That girl; she's one of the six I saw in my vision," Hitomi said flatly.

"Are you sure?" Allen asked, his expression now focused and serious.

"Positive, she has the same startling gold eyes and wild brown hair…" Hitomi explained.

"Then we should try to catch up to her," Merle said, and she ran off on all fours in the direction the girl had gone. Allen, Millerna, and Hitomi looked at each other… they all envied the catgirls never ending energy. With a sigh, the three took off after her at a more reasonable pace.

Merle caught up with the strange warrior girl quickly, "Hello." The catgirl said cheerfully, popping up right in her path, bring the woman to an abrupt stop and almost unsettling the perched raptor he gave a hiss of reproach.

"Hello," the woman looked at Merle, eyeing her suspiciously. "Can I help you with something?"

"Well yeah, this might sound strange, but I have a friend, who thinks she saw you in her vision which she had earlier today," Merle laughed putting a paw like hand behind her head.

"I don't have time for this," the girl said irritably and she pushed past Merle rather rudely.

"Please make time," Allen said as they walked up, the girl looked at Hitomi again, then at each of her other companions.

"So you did have the vision too," Hitomi indicted, this got the girls strange gold gaze back to her.

"I don't know who any of you are and I don't know what you're talking about," the woman snapped back, and then she turned to leave.

"Please don't turn your back on me… You may not want to believe it, but something is going to happen and you, along with me are going to be brought together with five other girls and we are going to have to help stop… the eyes that glow in the darkness…" Hitomi insisted, she knew she was right; this had to be the right girl.

The woman paused, then turned around to look at Hitomi again. They regarded each other a moment, and Hitomi added, "Our eyes now open, we have awaken… Thus we..."

"…shall stand..." The girl narrowed her eyes, then sighed, "Fine… I'm listening…"

"My name is Hitomi, this are my friends the Knight Allen Schezar and the Princess Millerna of Asturia, and of course this is Merle," Hitomi explained motioning to each as she introduced them.

"Hitomi?" the woman blinked, "You must be stronger then you look, it you're the wench who help bring about the fall of the Zaibach Empire," she paused, "My name is Rashel… Rashel Shargaze... Originally of Cesario, but I've been a vagabond for many years."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Rashel. Will you please come with us to the Castle? That is where I am living right now, and I'd feel better talking there in privacy rather then here in the busy marketplace," Hitomi explained.

"Alright, I'll come with you, but if there is any funny business, know that I wont hesitate to leave or draw my blade if someone tries to stop me from leaving…" Rashel trailed off and looked at her hawk. She seemed to nod then she held up her arm, the hawk soared away into the sky.

"Our carriage is on the edge or town," Millerna said.

"I have my own ride," Rashel said, and then she stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled. Moments later an ebony horse came trotting up.

"Well… follow us then," Merle said as they head back to where Frodu waited with the carriage.

"What were you four doing? Buying out the who market place?" Rashel asked as the three women climbed into the crowded carriage. Allen chuckled as he mounted up, glad not to have to cram in there as well.

"No, we were just clothes shopping," Millerna smiled, "it can be very serious business." Hitomi and Merle both nodded, and Rashel just remained flabbergasted.

* * *

They rode back to the castle where some servants came out to meet them. They started to unload and carry Merle, Millerna, and Hitomi's bags to their rooms, Millerna staying there to direction them on whose packages were whose.

"I will go get Lord Van," Merle announced, and she ran off into the Castle. Hitomi led Rashel to Van's study, which was like their private meeting place. They waited with Allen for Merle and Van to arrive. While they waited Hitomi told Rashel stories from when she had first came to this land from the Mystic Moon. She told about her visions and reading tarot cards. She even told about her grandmother's trip here when she met Neon Schezar, Allen's father. She told about Atlantis and about Durnkirk. Then she told about coming back to this world and about what happened at Van's birthday celebration ball. Told about Dilandau and the shadow beast with glowing green eyes.

"Sorry I kept you waiting, some of the nobles seem to get greedier and greedier," Van said as he walked into the room. Rashel stood up and bowed to Van.

"Van, this is Rashel," Hitomi said.

"Hello Rashel, Hitomi… does she…. Err…" Van asked.

"Rashel do you know anything about Draconians?" Hitomi asked.

"Not really, but I've had dreams of people with wings," Rashel shrugged.

"So you have visions?" Hitomi asked, wondering if the train wasn't uncommon in Draconian descendants.

"No, the only thing close to a vision I have ever had was what happened earlier today," Rashel responded slowly. She was still unsure of these noble people and being here.

"So you did have the same vision as Hitomi?" Merle asked, awed at the very idea.

"I guess so… But what I don't understand is why. And why did everyone have wings anyway." Rashel said.

"Well, my conclusion is that all the girls present in the vision, are all descendents of Atlantis," Hitomi said.

"So you're saying I'm a damned one?" Rashel demanded, finely curved brow lofted; part confused, part skeptical, and part offended.

"Draconians aren't damned," Hitomi argued.

"Ever met one?" Rashel asked.

"My mother was an Draconian…" Van said quietly, but it got everyone's attention. He had moved to a chair nearby; sitting leaned over on the chair's arm, chin resting in his palm propped up by his elbow

"Err…" Rashel said, now feeling awkward. She had just insulted the King of Fanelia.

"Van isn't the only one, my Grandmother's parents fled to Japan after escaping what happened in Atlantis. My own mother is part Draconian, so I have their blood in me, just like Van," Hitomi confessed. Allen startled slightly, but thinking about it, it did make a lot of sense, although he was a little hurt Van and Hitomi hadn't let him in on that little tidbit before.

"Rashel, you may not be full or even half Draconian, but you do have Atlantian blood in your veins. That is why in the vision you had wings along with the rest of us," Hitomi argued.

"I don't believe that stuff. Atlantis may have been real long ago, but I don't believe Atlantians had wings," Rashel argued right back; this whole thing was ridiculous, really. Did they really think she'd believe all this?

"Oh?" Hitomi asked. She looked at Van who nodded. Hitomi looked back at Rashel and let out her wings. They burst out and almost knocked Merle over. Rashel just stared along with Allen. Hitomi stretched her wings, flexed them, and then pulled them back into herself. The air around them was filled with a few lost feathers; each giving off a slight white glow. "Do you believe now?"

Rashel recovered herself, and then glared at Hitomi, "Ok, so I see your point, but what are we going to do about it? What do you want from me?" Rashel demanded.

"We're going to watch for the other five girls, and we're going to protect this world from the evil, the glowing eyes in the dark," Hitomi said softly.

"Rashel, you can stay here at the Castle, we will have a room made up for you," Van offered, "We only ask that you stay with us a while until we figure out more about this looming danger. You aren't a prisoner here, you can come and go as you please, but we would like you to make your home here with us for now."

"I have one problem, I travel with some companions and I can't leave them out alone," Rashel replied, feeling a bit defeated by this entire happening.

"We can have rooms arranged here as well, or a place in the city, if that is your wish… as long as you assure us they aren't thieves or…" Van started.

"They aren't human companions…" Rashel rolled her eyes. "Two mountain _Wolves_, a Mountain Shadow _Hawk_, and my _Horse_." Rashel explained, "They are as close to me as family and I refuse to stay anywhere without them."

"You can open the window and let RazorWing come in, that's what you called him right? And we'll ever get a perch for him," Merle offered.

"What about my horse?" Rashel asked.

"You horse will be kept in the warm stable, where it will be cared for with the rest of the palace horses," Van assured her.

"And the two wolves waiting for me at the edge of the woods? May they come here as well?" Rashel asked skeptically.

"Wolves?" Merle squeaked, thinking about them coming here.

"Sure, they can come and go as they please, as long as they don't go eating any livestock in the city or valley," Van said, "or any of the villagers," he added.

"They only hunt wild prey," Rashel assured him as Merle, shacking here head at the idea of wolves in the castle, left to have a room made ready for Rashel.

* * *

It wasn't long after that Rashel found herself in a ground floor room with large window facing a large side courtyard. A perch was put inside near the window and Rashel found Razorwing already sitting on it. She had sent him to her wolves earlier; his being here meant the wolves must have tracked her down as well.

As if on cue, she heard a screech outside. Sighing, she hopped outside the window since it was the nearest exit and looked around. The catgirl Merle had climbed onto one of the Castle roofs and was staring wide eyed down at a pair of large wolves who had come into the landscaped courtyard. At the moment the catgirl's antics of making so much noise and scurrying up onto the building had drawn the wolves attention and they sat on their hunches looking up at her as if waiting for their dinner to come back down.

"Hey you two, stop scaring the little cat," Rashel called, putting her fists on her hips. The wolves ears perked at her voice and they turned their heads to look at her, then looked up at Merle again almost with a sigh, then with what seemed like great reluctance, they got up and trotted over to where Rashel waited. Samurai and servants were watching from a safe distance as Rashel embraced the large, wild beast.

"This is ShadowStalker and MoonChase," Rashel introduced the two wolves to Hitomi as the girl walked up. The wolf ShadowStalker was a large black brute with a little peppering of gray in his fur. His eyes were bright yellow eyes and very intelligent seeming. MoonChase on the other hand was a little smaller, and was almost pure white, except for a strip of gray and tan down her back. Her eyes were an eerie piercing blue.

"Their beautiful," Hitomi smiled, although she was a bit nervous around these large animals herself. They were much larger then wolves found on Earth, although, unlike many of the animals on Gaea, these two did look like the wolves of her world.

"They are, but don't get to close, they don't trust many people, and they may bite a stranger if they think they are being threatened," Rashel scratched MoonChase behind the ears.

"Well it's almost time for dinner, perhaps you should show your friends where you are staying and then I will show you where the dinning hall is," Hitomi offered as Millerna and Allen came to join them.

"Where is Merle?" Millerna asked.

"On the roof, I think she is scared of wolves," Hitomi replied, motioning to the catgirl clinging to the roof edge, her tail fluffed up and her ears back.

"There's Van," Millerna mentioned as the young king came to join them. He had been cornered by a courtier in the hall and had to deal with him, sending the others on ahead.

"Merle, get down from there, you look silly," Van called up when he noticed the catgirl. Then he gave a small smiled to the others, "Dinner is being serves, perhaps we all should make an appearance?"

Allen looked at Rashel, "Would you or your wolves mind if they ate in your room, or perhaps out here? Some of the courtiers who dine here and a even a few of the samurai, may not feel very comfortable with wolves sharing the dinning room."

"Certainly, ShadowStalker and MoonChase would have a heart-attack if they were forced into a room full of so many noisy human. They hunt and fend for themselves."

"That is fine as long as they stay clear of the human owned livestock and herds," Van reminded her.

Rashel sighed, "They know not to touch cattle, sheep and goats and the like." She then looked down as the two wolves turned their heads up to her. "Although human heard animals are plump and juicy, they don't give much of a chase when hunted," she looked up at them again, "At least that is what I've heard…"

"Well let us not miss dinner, shall we?" Van changed the subject and offered his arm to Hitomi. Hitomi shyly accepted it, letting him guide her back inside.

"Are those two lovers or something?" Rashel asked Millerna when the two were out of earshot.

"It's complicated… Van and Hitomi have loved each other since the fight with the Zaibach. It was kind of sad actually. When they were both able to admit their love, Hitomi was whist away back to the Mystic Moon. It has been three years since then, and Hitomi returned to us only recently. She says she is here to stay this time," Millerna explained.

"Doesn't her power scare you? Even a little?" Rashel wanted to know.

"Yes, but they have always been used to help save our lives. Hitomi isn't evil Rashel, she is a pure soul, she would do anything to help anyone else, even risk her life," Millerna glanced at Rashel, and then walked toward the building. Rashel just stood there with her wolves on either side of her body. Allen was leaning against a wall watching her as the Asturian Princess disappeared inside.

"Do you have a problem or something?" Rashel asked, without even having to look at him.

"What did that man do to you today in the marketplace?" Allen asked simply.

"He was a thief, he stole my coin pouch, but I caught in the act and confronted him," Rashel replied with a low growl.

"I see, then you were well in the right to do so…" Allen looked at the girl carefully, "You were quite handy with your sword. Where did you learn sword play?"

"My father, he was once a Knight, but went rogue and mercenary," Rashel replied hotly, though she said it with little shame.

"And your mother?" Allen pressed farther.

"It's none of your business… but she died bringing me into the world," Rashel snapped, she then stood, turning, "My life is none of your concern so stop being so damned nosy," she then walked away toward the stables to check on her horse. Allen watched her walk away, then straightened up and went inside, heading to the dinning hall. When he got to the dinning room, Van, Hitomi, Merle, and Millerna were already seated and eating. Hitomi was pigging out, though she was doing it as lady like as she could, she was still eating a lot.

"Boy, Hitomi, when did you last eat? A week ago?" Merle asked. The samurai Dameon glanced over at them, then back at his fellow knights to share in a joke another had told.

"Live her alone, our little adventure took a lot out of her yesterday and she needs to replenish her strength," Van half-scolded the catgirl.

"What did you do yesterday?" Millerna asked.

"Let's just say it was a flying lesson," Van whispered so only the four around him could hear. Van had told Allen to fill Millerna in on the little fact Hitomi had wings.

"I still can't believe that Hitomi is… you know…" Millerna said. "Though it would explain her abilities a bit…"

"How do you think I felt about it? I only found out less then a week ago," Hitomi said.

"I have a question, if that is the reason Hitomi has visions, why doesn't Van have them?" Allen asked as he sat down next to Millerna.

"I think that certain gifts travel with certain family-lines. Hitomi once told us that her Grandmother had visions also, and she found out her mother did to, so her grandmothers line must have been foreseers," Van offered.

"What gift do you have then Van?" Merle asked, curious, "It must be something wonderful!"

"I don't really know, maybe I haven't discovered my gift yet," Van said, "Or I just don't have one."

"I think Rashel knows her gift," Hitomi said thoughtfully.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Allen inquired.

"Well I have been thinking about my vision, and each girl was clothed in different colors, reds and oranges, different shades of blues, browns and yellows, shades of green, and so on," Hitomi said. "And I think I know why. The girl dressed in reds, oranges, and yellows has something to do with fire. The girl with the different shades of blue has to do with water. The girl in pale blues and grays could be air or the sky. The girl in light browns and yellows, which are earth tones, must have something to do with earth. Then there was the girl in green, I am not sure... Then there is Rashel, and if I'm right, her gift has to do with Animals."

"That would make since," Van agreed, "seeing as to the company she keeps."

"What about you Hitomi? What is your gift with? I know it is visions, but what element of nature would you be connected to?" Merle asked.

"Spirit… Light," Rashel said. She had entered unnoticed. "Hitomi, I don't know about you, but I didn't see myself in that vision, but I did see you."

"What did I look like in your vision Rashel?" Hitomi asked, curious.

"You were dressed in white, a light shun around you like a halo. You had a look of serenity and wisdom," Rashel shrugged as she took a seat next to Merle, "None of the other shad your glow." Everyone just looked at her for a moment. Hitomi stared at her empty plate in thought.

"So how do you think we should go about this?" Van asked Rashel. The samurai Dameon had been listening to the whole conversation, even if he seemed to have his attention elsewhere.

"Well, I think we should sit back and wait, because, I didn't mention this before, but I wasn't even coming to Fanelia's castle town today, I was heading west toward another kingdom, passing through the Fanelian forest, but after the Vision, I felt drawn here. I think that Hitomi is a beacon, or maybe all of us will just be drawn to each other, so those other girls should find their own way here." Rashel got herself a plate and started eating. They ate in silence for the rest of dinner, all with much on their minds.

When dinner was over, Allen and Millerna retired to their rooms. Rashel bid goodnight and went to the room they had made up for her. The courtiers, samurai and nobles, all left and it was only Merle, Van, and Hitomi as the servents went about cleaning up.

"Van… I wont to learn to fight," Hitomi suddenly said.

"Fight? But why?" Van asked, startled… He couldn't picture gentle Hitomi holding a weapon.

"I want to learn, so I may protect myself and I feel like I need to know," Hitomi pressed.

"If Hitomi is going to learn to fight, I want to too," Merle piped in.

"I don't know if you could handle a sword Merle," Van pointed out.

"Merle, I have a feeling you will learn a form of fighting that will better suit you, but you have to wait," Hitomi said.

"What do you mean?" Merle asked.

"Just trust me," Hitomi said. She took a bite of a piece of fruit, then stood up. "I think I will go to bed early tonight."

"I'll be in a little later," Merle said.

"Your still tired from yesterday," Van observed.

"I'll be back to normal tomorrow morning," Hitomi assured him and she left the dinning hall. There was going to be a lot of struggle and turmoil ahead, but also new adventures and discoveries as well. Hitomi just hoped she and her friends would survive it all.


	8. 07 Fitting In

**Fitting In**

* * *

The next morning Hitomi woke up nice and early and had already washed up and gotten dressed by the time Merle had woke. Hitomi felt much more energetic that day then she had the previous; hell, she felt great. Walking out into the yard to get some fresh air and warm morning sunlight. She heard some noise that drew her attention and then the rest of her out farther, away from the main lot of the castle. She soon found herself standing on the edge of a large training court that was connected to the barracks where the resident Fanelian castle guards and samurai lived. They were training, practicing their combat skills and keeping in shape in case they were called on for serious action. 

Some were sparing with swords and staffs, while others were in Fanelia's style of Guymelefs. Hitomi moved over and sat on a wooden bench and watched the samurai go though their training motions. She recognized some of them, like the dark haired Dameon, and some the samurai that escorted her to the castle from the wolfmen village.

Engrossed in the spectacle, Hitomi almost missed the soft sigh from somewhere behind her. Glancing back she noticed the young cook, Marcus, standing in one of the doorways. The young man was watching the samurai with such a longing; as if he wished more then anything to be among them. Hitomi stood up and moved over to where he stood, wanting to say hello. If she were going to live here, she would like to get to know everyone she would encounter regularly.

He didn't notice her at first, but then he saw her out of the corner of his eye and looked over, startled to see who it was approaching him.

"The Lady Hitomi," the boy yelped, and then he bowed down.

"No need for that, I am not nobility," Hitomi insisted.

"Yes, but you are a hero," Markus exclaimed, he wasn't sure how to talk to someone with such notability as the Lady.

"I don't think I'm a hero," Hitomi admitted, "and I never know how to respond to everyone insisting otherwise."

"Don't be silly, if it wasn't for you, Lord Van would be dead and the Zaibach would probably be ruling our whole world," Markus argued, but then he stopped, seeing the Lady sigh. "I'm sorry, M'lady, I didn't mean to upset you…"

"No, it's alright, you didn't," Hitomi gave the cook a small reassuring smile.

"Hitomi?" Merle called from the other side of the courtyard.

"Oh, I suppose I should be going, it was nice seeing you again, Markus," Hitomi waved and ran off to where Merle waited. Markus blinked after her, the Lady Hitomi had remembered his name!

"Hitomi, can you ride a horse?" Merle asked as they walked together toward the dinning hall.

"Yeah, a little… at least the ones of the Mystic Moon… I might need some practice, why?" Hitomi asked.

"Van decided that we should just ride horseback instead of taking the carriage out next time we go out for 'lessons'," Merle explained.

"That might be wise, less people would be involved and I am sure Rashel would probably like it better that way," Hitomi agreed.

"Like it better what way?" Rashel asked as she walked up behind them. Hitomi was slightly startled at how quiet Rashel seemed to be at times; she hadn't even heard the girl come up behind them until Rashel spoke.

"Van insists on taking rides into the nearby mountains when he can get a day away from his King's work," Hitomi explained with a smile.

"Yeah, the King already mentioned to me that he'd like me to accompany you," Rashel said, eyeing them suspiciously… no one had told her exactly why they went on the rides, but she was starting to think it was for more then just some time out of the castle.

"Well Van can't slip off today, but he already told his advisors that he was going riding tomorrow," Merle explained. "Besides, Princess Millerna will be leaving for Freid in the morning."

"She's leaving already?" Hitomi asked with a frown.

"Well as Prince Chid's guardian, she can't be away for more then a couple of weeks and that includes travel time. Originally she was only going to be here for Van's birthday celebration but she has stayed a few more days to spend time with you," Merle explained.

"Oh… I see…" Hitomi felt a little guilty, but still glad that Millerna had stayed as long as she could. They entered the dinning hall; nodding greetings to people they knew until the reached Van's table, each taking their usual seats.

Hitomi smiled over at Rashel, but then she noticed just how stiff and uncomfortable the girl seemed as she sat there. Hitomi had noticed the night before that Rashel had seemed slightly grumpy and uncomfortable at dinner, but their conversation about the shared vision had kept her there. Rashel seemed fine any other time; did she have a problem with large groups of people maybe?

"So what do you do Rashel? You seem like a traveler," Hitomi asked.

Rashel looked over at Hitomi grumpily, "I'm a mercenary… I do different kind of jobs for some pocket money... I don't need a lot, just some here and there for things I can't make or find for myself…" glared over at the others as they gave her a stunned look, "I'm not a brutish, lawless mercenary; I choose what jobs I take very carefully. I only accept jobs that don't go against my strict code of honor."

"That's cool I guess," Hitomi said, blinking; she couldn't even imagine living like that.

"Well it's not like I wanted to be a merc," Rashel snapped at Hitomi, "They don't allow women to be knights in Cesario and those stuffy old men were starting to get grouchy whenever I played the vigilante. "

"What are you looking at?" Rashel growled at a serving man who had lingered a moment to long while setting dishes in front of her.

"Nothing mistress, I meant no offense," the man stammered in surprise. Rashel just glared at him until he withdrew and retreated back into the kitchens.

"That wasn't very nice, Rashel," Merle protested.

"He was looking at me like… oh never mind. I'm not hungry," she stood up and before anyone could protest, she was briskly walking out of the hall.

"Gees, what climbed under her tail and died?" Merle asked before sipping her glass of juice.

"I am sure the girl just needs more time to adjust," Millerna offered.

"I don't think Miss Rashel is used to this kind of living," Allen offered to the ladies, "If my suspicions are right in any case."

"Suspicions?" Millerna's brows rose as she looked at the knight, "Do you know something of this Rashel Shargaze, Allen?"

"I may… rumors mostly… and some things I remember my old mentor telling me," Allen replied.

"Your mentor? You don't mean Balgus? What would he have had to do with this girl?" Van asked in surprise, it still astounded him that Balgus was the same man who taught Allen swordplay, as he has been Van's mentor as well before dying the day Fanelia was burned to the ground by Zaibach.

Allen nodded to Van's question; "I once asked Balgus about the other two men who held to title of Swordmasters of Gaea. The youngest was a Knight from Cesario who more or less disappeared from all mention about seventeen years ago."

"What does that have to do with Rashel?" Hitomi wanted to know, "Other then she said she was from Cesario."

"The Knight's name was Taren Shargaze," Millerna said, as realization hit her, "It didn't even dawn on me when she told us her name."

"I can't be sure, but I know that when I saw her with that thief in town, I was impressed on how she moved and held herself with a sword," Allen explained, "I got from her last night that her father taught her swordsmanship."

Hitomi sighed, "I don't think we should pry into her past so soon after meeting her, she seems kind of edgy... we can't drive her away just when we got her here in the first place; we still have to find the others…"

"Then we'll just have to make her feel at home," Millerna smiled, "at least I will help as much as I can until my airship arrives in the morning."

"Why not just leave the crazy girl alone?" Merle grumbled, "her and her mutts."

"The wolves probably wouldn't have bothered you Merle, if you hadn't drawn their attention by running and screaming from the sight of them," Van rolled his eyes as he stood, "I have a busy day, but I should see you all at dinner."

Hitomi sighed; Van was always so busy. Not that he could help it, being king and all. His responsibilities to his kingdom and people came before having fun with his friends.

"Don't let those nobles bully you around too much Van," Hitomi smiled up at him as he moved behind her. He paused and put his hand on her shoulder, giving her a fond smile before taking his hand away and heading out of the room.

Hitomi sighed and looked back from watching him leave to see Merle having one of her mischievously evil looks on her face, like the one she had the first day they met three years ago when she saw and stole Hitomi's pendent. Hitomi eyed the catgirl cautiously, "What?"

"Must be hard to find time to make kissy-face with Lord Van with how busy things have been," Merle offered.

Hitomi turned a rosy shade of red, "Merle!" She grabbed up her glass and tossed it at the catgirl, who ducked under it and then stuck her tongue out at Hitomi. Merle then ducked again before Hitomi could grab her and took off running out of the dinning hall, Hitomi was up and hot on her trail. The sight had drawn the attention of all the courtiers who were still present and they watched the two girls as they raced out of the room. Millerna couldn't help herself, giggling behind her hand despite herself, and Allen just smiled shaking his head.

"Glad to see some things will never change," the knight murmured to his princess as he picked up his utensils to finish his breakfast.

* * *

Rashel narrowed piercing gold gaze at the Fanelian warriors as they went back to their training and sparing matches to keep their skills sharp. They were different from the Knights of Cesario. These men were a mix of castle guards, army soldiers, and samurai commanders… Even the samurai could be common born and merchants sons, while in Cesario you had to be a noble born to be a Knight, other wise it was to the normal army you went. 

Rashel had remembered how irritated she had been when she found out only boys could be knights. Not that she would ever have had the opportunity to be a page or squire anyway with how much her dad kept them traveling all over. But that didn't change the fact she could beat many of those pompous noble born brats that were able to be knights in a sword fight, yet because she wasn't born male she could never be allowed to even try for the title of Knight.

She sighed, leaning back against the wall. Now she was far from home, in a totally different country with different customs. Not that she spent a lot of time around the Cesario's royal court, but she knew it better then she knew Fanelia's. Sure, courtiers were still courtiers; the ranks made up of rich merchants, high-ranking warriors, other people of importance, and of course blue-blooded noblemen who looked down their noses at people who weren't of consequence.

She probably shouldn't have ran out of the dinning room like she did though… she hoped she didn't offend King Van… It wasn't those she sat with that made her uncomfortable, and she wouldn't want to insult the ruler.

She felt great respect for King Van, being so young yet ruling his country threw all the hardships it had faced. He seemed nice enough for a royal; he didn't have the same stiff air about him that most of his rank did. He didn't dress in fine clothing just to sit around and look pretty. Not to mention all he did during the war with Zaibach.

The catgirl Merle was entertaining… when she wasn't being totally annoying. But she also seemed loyal totally devoted and loyal to her friends. Rashel had the suspicion that once she decided to like someone, the feline could be a kind and caring companion… under that attitude of hers anyway.

The princess from Asturia was usually polite and dignified, as well as graceful, proper of a Princess... But Rashel had caught times that she showed signs of a free and fiery spirit when along with her friends. Like the Fanelian King, Princess Millerna didn't have the typical stuffy royal seeming that annoyed Rashel about her own monarchs.

Sir Allen of Asturia was intriguing, but at the same time he seemed too curious about her to be too comfortable. She had heard of him and his swordsmanship before, but had yet to see it in action. She had heard the rumor that one of the Three Swordmasters of Gaea had been his teacher, but to her it was only a rumor.

As for Hitomi… the girl from the mystic moon who helped save the world from Zaibach… She found a strange bond with Hitomi, as strange and other-landly as the girl might be. Perhaps because of the pull of their apparent intertwined destinies that drew her here in the first place.

No it wasn't them that upset her… It wasn't really anyone… it was more like everyone… she had a paranoia that everyone in the place was staring at her, judging her. She had felt out of place the night before as well, but the conversation with Hitomi and the others about their shared vision had kept her mind from being self-conscious about that.

She lowered her gaze to the dusty ground, the sound of the sparing samurai drowning out of notice as she thought back. She had issues with being uncomfortable around people since she was a child. It didn't help that people used to call her the daughter of a witch or demoness. Her mother Raselle had had a strange knack with animals and other beasties, and people saw it as unnatural. Those in her mother's village had thought her cursed. That hadn't stopped Rashel's father, a Knight and the son of a local lord, from falling for her though, and in result Rashel was here now.

"Hey Rashel, you ok?" Rashel looked up in surprise and found Hitomi standing there, it was rare Rashel let anyone sneak up on her; she must have really been distracted by her thoughts. "You kind of rushed out of the dinning room this morning," Hitomi smiled, but Rashel could tell she was nervous, probably unsure about how to approach her.

"I'm fine, I just wasn't hungry," Rashel glared, irritated by Hitomi's meek manner.

"Well that's good," Hitomi agreed, but she then looked for a change of subject, hopefully to something safer, "You could ask to join the samurai in sparing? I mean if you are bored or want some exercise or something…"

"I am fine," Rashel grumbled, "stop fussing over me. I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself, and I don't need looking after."

"I don't mean to fuss, Rashel, I just feel kind of responsible… it's kind of my fault you're here, and if you don't like it here, well then I feel responsible for that as well," Hitomi admitted.

"I don't think you can blame yourself for my heritage or destiny, Lady Hitomi," Rashel rolled her eyes, "It's not like you made me the thing I am."

Hitomi frowned at Rashel referring to herself as if she were a thing, "Rashel, that is no way to look at it. Sure we're not like everyone else, but we're not monsters," Hitomi put her hand on Rashel's shoulder as she moved to stand in front of her so she had to look at her. Hitomi was startled to find herself locking gazes with Rashel's piecing gold one. Hitomi got flashes from the past then. At first she thought she was seeing Rashel's memories, but then she realized she was seeing thing Rashel could not have possibly seen or known.

* * *

_Rashel's birth hadn't been a kind one. The night her mother, a lovely woman named Raselle, went into labor, her father, Taren Shargaze, was away, being a Knight of Cesario, and he had to serve the Crown wherever they sent him. The midwife of her mother's village came to tend her, but during the labor, her mother had sprout wings; draconian wings. Frightened, the midwife fled the house._

_Without the midwife, Raselle's labor went badly, pain rocked the woman's body as she screamed in agony. Despite the hardship, the baby girl was born alive and whole, but her mother suffered internal complications, hemorrhaging. _

_If the midwife hadn't run or a healer even called now, Raselle may have still had a chance to survive. But instead the frightened midwife had frightened the men of the village, causing a mob to come to Raselle's home. They believed Raselle a demon or processed by one. They set fire to her mother's house, despite others in the village protesting it, forcing Raselle to flee with her newborn daughter. She didn't get very far, stumbling into the forest as far as she could while loosing so much blood. The villagers would have pursued, but every animal in the village and forest had turned on them, driving them away._

_Raselle laid there alone of any human comfort in the night dark, slowly bleeding to death while trying to comfort her crying newborn babe. Taren returned and tracked Raselle there, hours later, finding his love barely hanging onto life, in a pool of her own blood. He held her and cried, cursing himself for not being there, not having taken her back to his home, despite his father's protests. Raselle died in his arms, asking him to look after their daughter. He took the infant and then noticed that there were animals all around, watching them. He hadn't noticed them before, but there were signs of their having been there everywhere. Tracks, tuffs of fur, places the grass had been smothered by a body laying there for a good bit of time… All recent, but as close as they had been nothing had touched the dying Raselle or her defenseless babe. It was more like they had stood guard over them until Taren had come. _

_Taren buried the woman he loved and meant to make his wife, and took his infant babe home with him, vowing he would raise her himself and would always be there for her when she needed him the most. His little Rashel._

* * *

Hitomi released Rashel's shoulder and stepped back, she hadn't meant to peer into the past, and it felt like an invasion of privacy. Rashel obviously had a lot of pains in her past and she didn't seem the type to care and share them with anyone. 

"What happened, you zoned out on me for a moment there," Rashel narrowed her eyes at Hitomi.

"I… I'm sorry… I…" Hitomi wasn't sure what to say… should she tell Rashel what she saw?

"Rashel Shargaze," Rashel and Hitomi turned to see Allen standing there, a hand on his hip, "Sorry to interrupt, but I am curious to see your swordplay in action a bit more closely, care for a spar?"

Rashel eyed the Asturian Knight; "I don't care to whack you around with a stick, Caeli."

Allen smiled at her calling him by his rank as a member of the Knights Caeli, Asturia's most elite order of knights. His blue and white uniform reflected his station. That proved she was either well traveled or educated as well as combat trained.

"We will spar with live weapons, if you would prefer," Allen suggested, "I have the feeling I can trust you to keep from making a fatal blow in a friendly match."

Rashel eyed Allen with her keen predator like eyes, then she sniffed, "Very well, if you insist. But I warn you, I am not in the best of moods so I may not take it easy on you." She was rather curious to see this man in action herself.

Allen smiled, "I would ask nothing more," he gave her a little bow, then moved out onto the sparing floor to ask the samurai present if they may commandeer their arena for a while.

Rashel rolled her shoulders then glanced back at Hitomi, "If he's as good as they say this might be a while," with that she walked out to join him, undoing the small strap that kept her sword from sliding out of her sheath with a flick of her thumb.

* * *

"Why aren't you training?" a clean-cut samurai named Travis asked a group of lazing samurai. He was the samurai that had led the group that had escorted Lady Hitomi to the castle. Travis had short dark brown hair that he kept neat and trim so out of his way; his eyes were a sharp blue and they missed little. He was young, early twenties, but even so he was intelligent and strong enough to be considered for the position of the new general of the Fanelian Claw Army.

He was one of the youngest samurai ever to be considered for such a position, but after the deaths of Balgus, Hurisen of the Claw Army, Luva of the Tusk Army, and Asona of the Horn Army, during the Zaibach attack over three years ago, the country was low on veterans with command ability to fill the positions. Van had trouble finding suitable experienced samurai to take up any of the command positions, and the army was still growing, it had a ways before it reached the size it had been three years ago. There were a lot of soldiers still needed. In any case, Travis was young, but he was loyal and able, so he was qualified.

Travis surveyed a group of samurai who were slumping around the courtyard.

"Sir Allen Schezar of Asturia asked us to use the sparring floor," one of the samurai replied.

"Why?" Travis asked, frowning his brow.

"Sir Allen is sparing with some woman," another samurai explained.

"A woman?" Travis turned and walked toward the training ground. When he got there he found that the yard had an audience. Resident courtiers, off duty soldiers and samurai, and assorted castle staff all watched as the infamous Allen Schezar sparred the newcomer. He spotted Melo and Merit, two young samurai under his command, with a boy named Markus who worked in the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Travis asked; the three boys jumped and turned around.

"Oh Travis, sir. We were just watching the Asturian Knight, Allen Schezar, spar with that woman that came in with the Lady Hitomi and them yesterday," Melo explained. He was a young samurai, only seeing seventeen summers. He had a head of short, dark, curly brown hair and soft brown eyes that reflected his gentle nature, although he was ready to do anything for his king and country. He had been the shy young samurai that Hitomi had ridden back with the day she arrived in Fanelia.

"Hmm," Travis looked out onto the training ground. Allen Schezar was sparing with a girl that had her long, rather wild, brown hair pulled back into a high ponytail. She was clearly an experienced swordsman from the way she moved. She was swift and graceful with each of her blocks, her attacks, and her counters. She seemed in total control of her body, which he could see from there was slender and fit, firm with muscles in her arms, shoulders, back, stomach and legs.

"Merit, have they been doing this for a while?" Travis asked, intrigued. Allen Schezar was known to be an expert swordsman; one of the best, and the girl was keeping up with him.

"Yes, they have been at it for nearly a hour," Merit said, he seemed awed by the sight. He was the youngest in his patrol, only sixteen, with a black mess that he called his hair and dark eyes that could have been black if brown didn't show when the light hit them just right.

"Who is that woman? To keep on equal footing with a swordsmen like Allen Schezar," Travis asked, more to himself then to those around him.

"I overheard someone say her name was Rashel Stargaze," Markus said. "I heard she's some kind of traveling mercenary out of Cesario."

"How do you know all of that?" Travis asked the kitchen boy, lofting a brow.

"I listen," Markus replied sheepishly, as if that excused eavesdropping.

"The girl, Rashel is impressive with a sword," Melo agreed.

"Yes, she is," Travis replied, taking in the woman's movements. She was quite exceptional.

Melo then added, "and they aren't even using wooden practice swords, but live blades. I thought they were out here to duel for real at first."

Travis was startled to see Melo was right, the two combatants were using real swords; he only now noticed the clang of steel on steel as they met blades, having been so engrossed by the strangeness of the scene at first.

"Well in any case, you shouldn't trust a mercenary… they do what they do for money," Travis told the two younger men.

"Well I have to get back to the kitchen to help with lunch preparations…" Markus sighed, "Franko is mad enough at me as it is." The young cook bid farewell to them and trotted off.

"You two should be spending your time more productively," Travis informed the other two.

Melo smiled, "Isn't studying the fight productive? We might learn a new thing or two about sword fighting." Merit nodded his agreement, how often would they get a chance to see a legend sparing in their court?

"Well it looks like the show is over in any case," Travis pointed out looking at the two sparring as they drew back from each other and lowered their blades.

* * *

"You were taught well, Rashel Shargaze; your famous father must have been a great teacher." Allen smiled as he saluted her with his sword before sheathing it. He had even managed to work up a bit of a sweat in this spar. 

Rashel narrowed her eyes, breathing heavier from the nonstop exertion. She then straightened up and sheathed her blade, "You knew."

"I suspected when I saw your fighting form and you told us your name," Allen admitted.

"So you wanted to test how well I learned my father's style?" Rashel wiped a bit of sweat from her brow, pushing her bangs out of her face.

"I myself was a student of Balgus Ganesha," Allen informed her, "Think of it a test between students of two of the legendary Three Swordsmen of Gaea."

Rashel eyed Allen, "I should have known," she turned and caught a towel as it was tossed to her. Blinking she looked up at Hitomi who waved with a smile. The Princess Millerna and the servant catgirl Merle were standing with her. Looking around Rashel was aware now just how many people were there watching their little spar. "…"

"If any of them meant you harm I think you would have noticed them before now," Allen suggested as he moved past to take the towel Millerna held ready for him.

He was right of course… in a serious fight if an enemy came up behind her she could always tell they were there… she sensed no hostility from these people, only awe and respect. It was still uncomfortable to be the center of attention, but these people weren't looking at her like she was a monster. They didn't know the story from her mother's village… Allen and maybe the others might know of her father, but no one else would… Here she might have a new start… She set her eyes forward and walked toward Hitomi and her friends.


	9. 08 Peices Fall Into Place

**Pieces Fall Into Place**

* * *

"I'm sorry to be leaving," Millerna gave Hitomi a tight hug.

"It was good to have you here as long as you could stay," Hitomi returned her hug, "Maybe after I settle down and know what I'm supposed to be doing, I'll see if I can come visit Freid. I would like to see Prince of Chid again."

"I am sure he'd love it if you did," Millerna stepped back and smiled at Van and Merle.

"It was great having you here, Millerna. Visit any time you can get time away," Van smiled, which Millerna returned before then turning to Allen.

"I am sorry that I will not be accompanying you home, Millerna," Allen started, "But I feel that our friends here are going to get involved in something important again, and I feel I should stay and help keep them out of too much trouble."

"I know, Allen," Millerna stepped up to him and they exchanged an embrace and kiss. Allen held the princess gently as he kissed her tenderly, not caring who saw.

Hitomi was a little envious as she watched their embrace. Van has kissed her at his birthday celebration, but since then the only gestures that showed he still cared for her were touches and looks. She knew it couldn't be helped. He was the king after all.

Millerna turned to them all once she and Allen drew away, "Goodbye, and good luck."

The group watched as the princess boarded the airship, giving them one last wave, then disappeared from their sight.

"Bye Millerna! Don't forget to write!" Merle called after her, waving her arm. The group moved away as the ship powered up and began to rise. Hitomi sighed as she stood there with Van, Merle, and Allen. She really would have to try and visit Fried some time soon.

She sighed again with realization… Allen would have to leave for Asturia eventually as well. It was selfish of her to wish all her friends to stay here with her; she was lucky enough to get to stay with Van and Merle. Before it had been their combined mission to stop Zaibach that had tied them all together. Now with that threat gone, they all had their own lives in different parts of Gaea that they had to see to. It could never been like it once was.

"Let's go home," Van said at last once the airship was well on it's way from Fanelia's capital. With that the four turned and headed back to the castle.

Hitomi found herself spending the rest of the morning wandering the castle again. If this was to be her new home she really wanted to know every inch of it. Merle had some things she had to see to before they were going to leave for riding after lunch, and Van had to do some things as well, so Hitomi was left with a bit of free time. This morning however Allen accompanied her on her exploration.

"I think you will fit in very well here, Hitomi," Allen assured her as they walked down one of the corridors.

"I hope so… I really don't want to be a bother on Van, he has enough on his mind ruling his kingdom and all," Hitomi smiled.

"Van would deal with any bother you could possibly cause him to have you here, Hitomi," Allen said seriously. Hitomi felt a little embarrassed. Once Allen had been under a spell and had proposed to Hitomi when Millerna was supposed to marry a rich merchant. They had even shared a kiss… It was an uncomfortable thing to think about now.

"Van wants to go riding into the mountains later," Hitomi changed the subject, "Are you coming?"

"Of course, I would hate to miss out on all the fun," Allen grinned, and Hitomi couldn't help but smile in return. They wandered around and talked, sometimes about things that happened long ago, until lunch came and went. Soon they found themselves heading for the castle stables.

* * *

Two stable boys came out leading five horses, already saddled and ready to go. Hitomi still found these creatures funny looking… manes under their necks instead of down their backs… They jumped around like goats or deer rather then horses of her world… Rashel wasted no time walked over to her ebony mare, stroking her nose and whispering affections before moving around her and mounting up in a quick and fluid motion.

Merle mounted on a brown and black one. It seemed as energetic as the catgirl, but was patient as she mounted. Hitomi found herself with the reins of a white mare held out to her. It seemed to have a gentle demeanor as she accepted them and moved closer, holding her hand out to it gingerly to let it smell her hand. The animal gave a snort and just stood there patiently. She moved around it, and found herself awkwardly trying to get into the saddle. Merle giggled at the display and Rashel just rolled her eyes.

Allen smiled and moved over, helping her up, "It takes practice." He assured her. Hitomi gave her a thankful smile and settled in the saddle. Allen himself moved over and easily swung up into the saddle of a silvery gray animal.

They waited, and eventually Van finally showed up, mounting quickly onto the last horse, another white with a proud bearing.

"Sorry I'm late, a noble had some more complaining to do," Van sighed.

"Its ok Van," Hitomi said, "the pains of a king."

"Can we get this over with?" Rashel grumbled.

"Yeah, lets move out," Van said, giving his horse an nudge forward.

* * *

It was a bit faster ride by horseback then it was taking the carriage. Although Hitomi had to admit that the carriage had been an easier ride on her rear. When they arrived they dismounted and lead their horses up the narrower part of the trail, tying them to trees in a clearing. They then made the trek the rest of the way up to the same cliff Van had brought Hitomi before.

"So you're going to do some flying?" Allen asked as the moved up the trail.

"Yes, and we are hoping to teach Rashel to release her wings," Hitomi said.

"Is that why we're up here? You should have told me. I think you're wasting your time with me," Rashel grumbled, annoyed.

"I don't," Hitomi smiled. They reached the cliff and Merle took a seat on a tree branch again. Allen leaned up against the trees trunk and observed the three as Van explained to Rashel the same things he had to Hitomi before.

"Just picture yourself with wings, you'll have to think about it at first, but it will become instinct as you learn more," Van said, he let out his wings in a explosion of glowing white feathers, then with a few pumps, he flew up into the air.

"I'll never get used to seeing that," Allen muttered up to Merle.

"Don't be afraid," Hitomi said as she let her own wings out… though it was easier then before, it still took her some effort to accomplish.

"I'm not afraid of anything," Rashel growled. Hitomi smiled and took her hand, leading her over to the cliff.

"Imagine that you are falling down here," Hitomi suggested.

"I don't have that good of a imagination," Rashel grumbled, looking down the cliff.

"Then we'll have to do it the hard way," Hitomi smiled. She glanced up at Van, making sure he was ready… then shoved Rashel, sending her toppling over the cliff edge.

A scream caught in Rashel's throat as she started to fall. She reached out and tried to grab Hitomi, but Hitomi jumped back out of reach. The wind whipped around her as she fell, it was only a second or two, but felt like she was falling for ages, her death waiting for her on the ground below… Of course she didn't realize Van was near her and would grab her just before she would hit the ground.

"Imagine it, Rashel!" Hitomi screamed after her. It looked like she wasn't going to do it… Maybe this was a mistake Van was getting ready to swoop in and catch her when all of a sudden wings burst from the falling woman's back, and began beating the air wildly to keep her from hitting the ground.

"I'm going to kill you Hitomi!" Rashel screamed venomously. Van blinked, he sure hoped that was an empty threat Hitomi leaped off of the cliff and swooped down to them.

"I'm sorry Rashel, but that's how Van got me to learn," Hitomi explained sheepishly.

"Well if you ever do anything like that again, I will seriously hurt you," Rashel growled. The girl had beads of sweat on her brow, a mix of the terror she had felt and the effort to use wings she never knew she had before.

Rashel got a hold on using her wings a bit more quickly then Hitomi did, perhaps her peck physical condition helping her control the muscles need. Once she got her rythem, the three flew back up to the top of the cliff.

Van landed easily, but Hitomi stumbled, Van caught her arm and kept her from falling. Rashel landed and glared at them both.

"I'm sorry," Hitomi apologized again, "Van was ready to catch you, honest… we wouldn't have let you get hurt."

"Feh…" Rashel crossed her arms and glared off, "Now what?"

"We're going to get you used to your wings," Van explained.

After doing the same excises Van made Hitomi do, it was already getting dark, so they taught Rashel to take her wings back into herself and started back down the trail with Allen and Merle to their waiting rides.

Rashel and Hitomi found themselves exhausted by the time they got back to the Castle, they both went straight to sleep when they got back to their rooms.

* * *

Dilandau sat on a throne made of dragon bone. He had salvaged some of his old belongings from the ruins of the Zaibach Empire and had brought them to his new home. Things were starting to look acceptable now.

A shadowy figure walked up, covered in a cloak.

"Frik, what do you need?" Dilandau asked wearily.

"We feel a strange force building, Dilandau, the Light is growing stronger," the being Frik replied, his voice gravely and deep. Glowing red eyes came from under the cloak, peering at Dilandau.

"The girl Hitomi… She's intriguing, but so troublesome," Dilandau sighed.

"There may be more like her out there," Frik said.

"Lord Dilandau," a young man in armor, old Zaibach Dragon Slayer style, came into the room.

"Mikle?" Dilandau asked.

"M' Lord, the Fanelian samurai is here to speak with you," Mikle bowed, and glanced at Frik. Mikle clearly feared the shadow being.

"Send him in then," Dilandau yawned.

"Yes M' Lord," the young warrior left the room. Frik sunk back into the shadows as a man in Fanelian armor walked into Dilandau's throne room.

"What word do you bring?" Dilandau asked.

"Lord Dilandau," the spy bowed, "The lady Hitomi has had a vision. I over heard her telling Lord Van, the Princess Millerna, the Knight Allen Schezar, and the catgirl Merle that there were seven women in her vision, each with the wings of the damned ones, the Draconians. I didn't believe it at first, but then they found one of these women, she is staying at the castle now. I overheard them call her Rashel, and listened to them talk at the dinning table, they talked quietly so I didn't get everything, but I did hear Lady Hitomi say that she believed each of the girls were descendents of the Atlantians, with powers like her."

Dilandau narrowed his eyes, leaning on his elbow and regarding the Fanelian with his red gaze.

"That's when I realized that the Lady Hitomi may also be one of the Damned Ones herself. It would explain her unnatural powers… They all went out today, so I followed them up to the mountains. I lost them for a short time but found their horses tied to some trees below a high cliff. I saw them moving above so I took cover in some brush and watched. Lord Van had sprouted wings and was flying; the Lady Hitomi and the woman Rashel were doing the same. I came straight here from there," the spy concluded.

"Then there are others," Frik spoke up, surprising the spy.

"According to what you've just told us, there are six yet to be found, so eight girls in all that we must get our hands on," Dilandau said. "You've done well, you will be rewarded."

"M' Lord," the spy bowed and quickly walked out of the room.

"We must find these girls before Van Fanel," Frik said. "The dragon can't unite with the eight powers." He moved from the room, fading into the shadows beyond.

"Yes… If we can bend these, 'Damned Ones' to our control, they could be most useful," Dilandau chuckled, thinking of what an assist controlling such witches could bring.

* * *

The next morning Hitomi got up pretty early, but Rashel continued to sleep in rather late. Hitomi had done the same after her first flying lesson. At breakfast Hitomi ate a lot, but not as much as she had the first time, and at lunch Rashel finally showed up and really pigged out.

After lunch Allen, Hitomi, Merle, and Rashel followed Van to his study and started talking about the day before.

"Is flying always that tiring?" Rashel asked, following her question with a yawn.

"No, at first it will be, but then you'll get used to it and your body will adjust," Van assured her. He was about to add something else when the captain of the Guard busted into the room.

"My Lord! A shaft of light has been spotted to the north!" the man announced.

"Goro, get our horses ready at once," Van commanded. Goro left the room and sent the nearest sentry to go and tell the stable hands to get the horses ready.

"It must be one of the missing six," Hitomi realized.

"Then we should hurry," Rashel added, for some reason, despite her reluctance to get involved, part of her felt urgency in getting to the new arrival.

"Merle, you stay here, Allen, Hitomi, and Rashel, your with me," Van said as he hurried out of the room. When they got to the courtyard, their horses were already ready to go. A young samurai named Melo had been the one to spot it first, so he came to show where if landed.

Quickly mounted and tore off at a gallop out of the castle and though the town, toward the north. It was a long and hard ride, they said little, focused on reaching their destination and what they might find. Melo led them into the forest, to where the shift had landed.

"So where did you say it seemed to have landed?" Van asked, scanning the landscape for anything unusual.

"M' lord, the beam looked to have landed here in this meadow, I swear it," Melo said.

"Van, I think he's right," Hitomi said as she took her pendent off of her neck and let it dangle from her hand. She closed her eyes and concentrated. "I'm sensing more then one. There seems to be three, all together, that way!" Hitomi pointed toward the east. So they turned their horse and headed that way.

Rashel made a high pitch whistle, a moment later, her hawk RazorWing appeared in the sky. She seemed to tell it something and it flew off into the sky. They rode for a few minutes, and then Razor was back, he screeched and circled above them, he then turned off to the east. "He wants us to follow him!" Rashel announced and she took off after the hawk. As they rode they heard struggling and the grind of metal.

They burst out into a clearing to find two girls. They were hunched together holding one another. They were wearing blue jeans and blouses with band names on them; obviously from Earth. The first girl had curly red hair that framed her face, and gray as ash eyes. The girl next to her had long, flowing, light blond hair and bright blue eyes.

Before them was Guymelef, all tangled up in some vines.

"What's going on here?" Van demand. The two groveling girls shoot them a look and just held each other tighter.

"That is an Zaibach Alseides!" Allen growled.

"I thought they were all destroyed," Hitomi stared in disbelief.

"Looks like you thought wrong," Rashel informed her as she looked at the girls on the ground.

"Is one of these girls controlling those vines?" Van asked.

"I recognize the two of them from the vision, but I don't think they are doing this," Hitomi admitted.

"I don't as well," Rashel added, "There might be a third around here." Hitomi took her horse up to the two girls, and the others followed. "Quickly, climb up," Rashel held her hand out to one of the girls. They just stared at her.

"Come one, you don't have time to be staring," Van said tensely. He reached down and dragged one of the girls up onto his horse. Rashel did likewise with the other. "We can't fight a Alseides without our own Guymelefs."

Van handed the girl over to Hitomi. The girl was scared, but she grabbed hold of Hitomi tightly and didn't let go. Rashel had the blond one in the saddle in front of her. Hitomi and Rashel turned their horses and rode a ways away from the others.

The Guymelef fought its viney binds; there was an ominous sound of liquid metal blades as it hacked its way free of them. The blade that formed at its fist then shifted and disappeared as it tried to get clear shoot at them. Van rode up next to the girls, "Come on, we have to get out of here," Van then turned his horse and it tore off at full gallop. Hitomi, Rashel, and Allen did the same, their two passengers holding on for dear life.

Behind them the Guymelef took to the air. It took chase after them but it couldn't attack in fly mode. So it tried to over take them first. It was almost upon them when it suddenly stopped, hovered a moment, then turned around and went the other way.

Van and the others slowed their horses, which were panting with exhaust.

"What was that thing and why did it attack us?" The blond riding with Rashel suddenly asked.

"They must be after you for the same reason we were, but we don't want to hurt you. And how did Dilandau find out about the seven anyway?" Allen asked.

"There must be a spy at the castle, I should have expected it from the beginning," Van growled.

"Who are all of you," the red haired girl in front of Hitomi asked in a quivering voice.

"That is Van Fanel, the King of Fanelia," Hitomi motioned to Van who rode in front. "That is Allen Schezar, a noble Knight from Asturia," Hitomi pointed to Allen. "This is Rashel Shargaze… and I am Hitomi Kanzaki," Hitomi finished.

"I'm Mya Jordan, and that is my friend Letha Thomson," the red head replied.

"Where are we?" the blond girl asked.

"You are one the outskirts of my Kingdom, Fanelia," Van replied.

"Are we still on Earth?" she asked again.

"No, you are on her sister planet, the one that we can't see, at night the Earth hangs in this world's sky," Hitomi explained.

"Here we call Earth the Mystic Moon," Rashel added.

"How do you know about Earth then?" Mya asked.

"I'm from Earth," Hitomi said.

"Hitomi Kanzaki? Sounds Japanese," Letha commented.

"Yes, that is where I come from," Hitomi agreed.

"A strange light picked us up from where we were standing and pulled us up into the sky," Letha mentioned.

"Then the light disappeared and we were in a meadow area. Standing there staring at us was another girl. We asked her were we were, but she just turned around and walked away, so we followed her. That's when that monster machine thing attacked, and the girl did something to the plants that fought it off. Then you arrived and took us out of there." Mya finished.

"The machine thing is a battle suit they call Guymelefs, and the light that picked you up they call a Shift " Hitomi explained, then she frowned, "then there was a third there? Did you see where she went?"

"She ran away… She… and you two too… You were all in that strange dream we both had," Mya admitted.

"Yes, it was a vision, we all had it," Rashel grumbled.

"What does it mean?" Letha asked.

"Let's wait until we get to the castle to discuses it," Van interrupted. They were already in Fanelia, riding through the town toward the castle.

"Lord Van!" Merle ran out to greet them. "What happened?"

"We've found two of the missing six," Van said as he dismounted. Hitomi helped Mya down, and then dismounted herself. Rashel did the same with Letha.

"Ahhh! What is that!" Mya screamed and fell back into Hitomi.

"Calm down," Van said, "It's only Merle, she wont hurt you." Merle just blinked at the girl's reaction.

"There are many people in this world like Merle. Some are part cat like her, or part wolf, or part hawk, or even part gecko," Hitomi explained.

"There is a lot we're going to have to get used to," Letha observed as she stepped up beside Mya.

"I want to go home," Mya muttered.

"Hopefully you will get to," Hitomi said.

"What do you mean?" Letha asked.

"Well, when I came here the first time, I went back to the Mystic Moon… I mean back to Earth, after I was done helping Van and the others to defeat Durnkirk and the Zaibach Empire," Hitomi said.

"So we can go home when you defeat who ever sent that machine, that Guymelef?" Letha asked.

"Perhaps," Rashel chuckled.

"Until then we need to teach you a few things about this world," Hitomi said.

"And since you have no where else to go, I suggest that you three stay here at the castle. Here the Fanelian samurai will give their lives to protect you," Allen said.

"Today, just get settled in and learn your way around the castle," Van said, "Merle will come and get you when it is time to eat."

"Um, thank you, Lord Van…" Mya said, she was slightly confused if that was what she was supposed to call him.

"Come on then, we have rooms made up for you," Merle said, she motioned the three girls to follow her. Mya looked at Hitomi, and then at Letha, who was already following Merle. Mya ran and caught up with her best friend and disappeared into the entranceway. When they were out of sight they looked at one another.

"Letha seemed to be calm, I wonder if it was an act to make Mya feel better, or if she is always that calm," Hitomi said.

"Mya seemed jumpy, and skittish, two qualities that will be her enemy if she is ever needed to use her gift," Rashel added.

"I think Mya might prove you wrong," Hitomi said. "She may seem that way, but something tells me she isn't the kind to turn and run when someone is in trou-ble… …"

"Hitomi?" Allen looked at the honey haired girl. Hitomi didn't answer him; she didn't seem to hear him. Van looked over and noticed that look Hitomi gets when she is having a vision.

* * *

_Now where am I…_ Hitomi thought. She was standing on a cliff on a high, lonely mountain. Just above her, the white clouds floated by the high peck. Hitomi turned around to see Rashel standing behind her. Mya and Letha appeared also.

Hitomi looked off of the cliff again. That's when she saw it. Floating in the sky, on top of a cloud, that wasn't a real cloud, was a temple or something. Hitomi didn't wait for the others to notice it; she leaped off of the cliff.

Mya and Letha ran forward, fearing that Hitomi was going to die. But then they gasped as two large wings burst from her back and she glided up toward the cloud.

Rashel looked at them then she let out her own wings and flew after Hitomi.

Letha looked at Mya, then imagined herself with wings like the others. This wasn't real, so she could do it. As she thought it wings appeared from her back. Mya, seeing Letha do it, did the same and the two took off after the three who had already taken off.

Hitomi landed on the cloud to find that it was pretty solid, Rashel landed beside her. Letha and Mya landed in time to see Hitomi take off into the temple. Rashel glanced at them, and then motioned them to follow, and the three ran in after Hitomi.

Hitomi came to a stop inside and looked around. The chamber was very vast, and was cut in seven sections with a eighth in the very center of the room.

The first section to their left was a sword with a brown gem where the hilt met the blade, and a strange mixed symbol of different animals on the end of the hilt. On a pedestal there was a stone tablet that had the same symbol, only larger and more animals had been added.

In the next section there was a torch burning brightly on top of a pedestal and near it was a sword, in the center of this sword was a gem of red and a symbol that looked like fire was on the end to it's hilt.

Next to it, in another section, there was a sword with a symbol was air and a pale misty blue gem. On the pedestal here was a glass container with what looked like a whirlwind or small tornado inside.

On the other side of the room, the first section had a strange plant growing on top of the pedestal. Nearby a sword, with a green gem where the blade met the hilt and the symbol of a left or plant on the end of the hilt, stood.

Next to it was a bowl of water on top of the pedestal, the sword near by had a blue gem in the center and the symbol of water on the end of the hilt.

Then next to it was a large crystal on top of the pedestal. The sword here had an amber gold/brown colored gem and the symbol of earth.

At the end of these six sections, there was a seventh shrouded in shadow, so Hitomi couldn't make out if there was even anything there.

Then the very last section, in the very center of to room, had a glass container, inside a sphere of light glowed brightly, pulsing with energy, lighting up the room. The sword near it had a white gem and a symbol that roughly stood for Spirit and Light.

* * *

"Hitomi?" Van asked.

"What?" Hitomi looked around the castle courtyard. Van was holding her in his arms.

"Hitomi, are you ok? That vision lasted a lot longer then they usually do," Van said concerned.

"Rashel clocked out too," Allen replied as he held up a confused and disoriented Rashel.

"Van… There is a Temple in the Sky, we must go to it," Hitomi said.

"What? How?" Van asked.

"Fly of course," Rashel replied.

"Not everyone can fly," Allen commented.

"Allen, could you call for an airship?" Van asked.

"One is already on its way back. It was to return after dropping Millerna off and picking up my Guymelef," Allen said.

"The Crusade?" Hitomi asked, hopefully.

"Afraid not. The Crusade is docked for repairs in Asturia, and her crew is staying with her. I am sure Gadeth and the boys will regret missing out on this adventure, but they will live," Allan explained. "Maybe they can catch up later."

"Alright then, well set out for this Temple in the Sky as soon as Allen's air ship arrives," Van nodded. "There is still the matter of finding our plant girl as well."

"Thank you Van. Rashel, we should see to the others, they may not know what to think about what had happened," Hitomi said, and she and Rashel went inside the castle to find the other two girls.

"Van, you can't take this journey, you will be needed here," Allen said. "You're no long a king without a country, and you can't just leave your people."

"But I should come," Van protested, he didn't want Hitomi going alone.

"Van, you don't have anyone to leave in charge," Allen said.

"I could leave Merle," Van suggested.

"Would the nobles listen to Merle?" Allen asked, lofting a brow.

"Ok… I see your point," Van sighed, and then looked at Allen, "Take care of them."

"You know I will," Allen bowed his head. With that the two young men walked into the castle.

When everything was quiet, a figure stepped out from a shadowy area he had been standing. He glanced around and walked toward the stables to get his horse. The kitchen boy, Markus, had been standing in a doorway a ways off, and he also heard everything. He watched as the samurai got his horse and started ridding north.


	10. 09 Underhanded Plots

**Underhanded Plots**

* * *

"Hitomi?" Letha said as Hitomi came into the room Letha and Mya were sharing, Rashel following behind.

"Yeah, it's me," Hitomi said as she closed the door behind her and Rashel. "I came to see if you're ok."

"Yes, but will those visions happen often?" Letha asked.

"Not usually… at least I don't think so," Hitomi said.

"That was like freaky weird," Mya remarked. "The Temple in the Sky, and the wings."

"Oh that vision was real," Hitomi said, "We are going to go find that place… We'll be setting out to find it as soon as Allen's airship arrives."

"What about the wings, you're not telling us you can sprout wings in real life," Letha said.

"I can, so can Rashel and Van," Hitomi admitted.

"You've got to be kidding us," Mya shook her head… all this had to be a dream… giant moving suits of armor, half animal people… Rashel locked the door of the room as Hitomi closed the shades of the windows.

"I'll prove it," Hitomi stood off so that her wings wouldn't knock anything over, then she let out wings out. As the busted out so rapidly, Mya and Letha fell back. They just stared wide-eyed as Hitomi stretched her wings, then folded them up behind her.

"Oh my god…" Letha said.

"Can I touch them?" Mya asked, her voice awed.

"Sure," Hitomi stretched out her right wings and Mya got up and walked over. She touched the wing with her fingertips.

"They're real," Mya said in awe. Hitomi then absorbed her wings back into her. A stray feather floated over and landed on Letha's lap. Letha picked up the glowing feather and then looked at Hitomi, who was now wingless.

"Does that mean Mya and myself can also grow wings? Like in the vision?" Letha asked; quickly catching on. Rashel chuckled… The blond seemed to be the level headed one, quick on the uptake. The red head still seemed to cling to the idea this was some kind of crazy dream.

"It does, you see…" Hitomi told the two the story about the Atlantians and then about her own family history. They then asked her about her adventures with Van the frist time she came to this world, so she ended up telling them that story too. Just as she finished up to the point that she was now, Merle knocked on the door and told them Van had their dinner prepared for them in his study. Hitomi, Rashel, and Merle led to them the Study and found Allen and Van already there.

"Hitomi, I've decided that I can't come on this journey with you," Van admitted as soon as the girls were inside and the door closed.

"What?" Hitomi asked, feeling more then a little disappointed.

"I don't have anyone to leave in charge, so I will have to remain here, but Allen will be going with you," Van explained, but his eyes spoke volumes of how much he didn't like having to stay behind.

"I see…" Hitomi said.

"Do you really believe we can find some temple floating in the sky?" Mya asked.

"If anyone can find it, Hitomi can," Merle said with absolute confidence.

"When should you're air ship arrive?" Rashel asked Allen.

"Any day now. They were to return as soon as it dropped Princess Millerna off in Freid," Allen explained.

"Until then, I think Rashel and Hitomi should take you two up into the mountains and help you to discover how to use your gifts and your wings," Van said. "We also need to find the girl Mya and Letha met in the forest; she isn't safe if Dilandau's after the girls. I've already sent patrols out to ask around."

"I will go with you girls, but I can't fly so you'll have to stay in the same area," Allen chuckled.

"Why can't you come Van?" Hitomi asked, feelings rather aggravated… it was like Van couldn't spend any time with them.

"Two of the Fanelian nobles are feuding and I need to stop it before any blood is shed," Van sighed, he too regretted the lack of time he got to spend with Hitomi. They had admitted their feelings, yet they never had time to be alone to express them.

"Seems like it sucks being King." Mya observed.

"Um… yeah I guess…" Van said. He wasn't sure that she meant by 'sucks', knowledge of Earth slang was not one of his strong points.

"Hitomi," Allan jumped up and drew his sword to chop the vine away. But then a second Vine came out and wrapped around his sword arm.

"What is this stuff?" Mya asked Hitomi as she poked at one of the side dishes.

"I don't know, but it's really good, try it," Hitomi said. After they were all done Letha and Mya returned to the room they shared. Hitomi and Merle went to their room, and Rashel went to the room she shared with her animals.

* * *

"Lord Dilandau, the samurai has returned," Mikle announced.

"Send him in," Dilandau ordered. The black haired Fanelian samurai came into the room.

"What is it? It better be important," Dilandau was still mad about one of his men letting Van and his group to get a hold of two more of the seven, and still not being able to find the third girl who disappeared into the forest.

"My Lord, the Lady Hitomi and the other three of the seven that are at the castle have shared a vision. I overheard the Lady say that there was a Temple in the Sky, and that she and the others must find it. The Knight Allen Schezar's airship is supposed to arrive soon and they will leave to find this place. The king will be staying in Fanelia while the women and Allen Schezar search for the Temple," the spy explained.

"Do they have any idea where this Temple is?" Dilandau asked, intrigued.

"I don't believe so. I think they plan to use the Lady Hitomi's power to find it," the spy admitted.

"You have done well, you are dismissed," Dilandau said. The Fanelian Samurai bowed, then he made his way out of the room. When he was gone and Dilandau was alone, Frik appeared out of the shadows.

"How do you plan to handle this, Dilandau," the shadow asked.

"I will follow them to the temple," Dilandau chuckled, "We'll have them lead us to it, then we can take the temple and the girls all at once. We can use the cloaking technology we used before."

"How many working cloaks do you have?" Frik inquired.

"Enough, but we can always make more or repair the damaged ones we savaged. Just like we did with the Alseides," Dilandau replied.

"Would you mind if my people modified your Guymelefs and their cloaks?" Frik asked.

"What do you want to do to them?" Dilandau eyed the shadowy figure.

"Just improve them, make this faster and more maneuverable," Frik explained.

"If your people could travel in day light this would all be a lot easier," Dilandau chuckled.

"Yes, well, if we could, we wouldn't have needed to make an alliance with you," Frik pointed out darkly.

"Good point," Dilandau laughed.

* * *

"Now all you have to do is imagine the wings returning inside of your body. See them disappear in your mind," Hitomi instructed. They had been on the mountain since early morning. After a little problem with the horses, Mya and Letha didn't know how to ride, they had set out. Allen sat and watched the girls as they all became airborne, then landed. Hitomi and Rashel were teaching Mya and Letha all they could.

"Can we take a brake from flying? My back is already becoming sore and achy," Mya complained.

"Ok, lets go to seeing if we can figure out your powers. Rashel has power of animals, and it seems that girl you saw yesterday had a power over plants, so that means you two are either Earth, Air, Fire, or Water," Hitomi said.

"Allen, did you gather some wood for a fire?" Rashel asked.

"Yeah, it's in a pile over here, I put stones around it also so there isn't a chance it will spread to the woods," Allen said. He and the now wingless girls walked over to a woodpile.

"Ok, Mya, I think you are the one in this department, see if you can make fire," Hitomi said.

"Um… there is something I haven't told you," Mya admitted.

"What?" Hitomi asked, looking over at the red head.

"I already know I can control flame. I've done it before back home," Mya smiled sheepishly.

"Then show us," Rashel encouraged, motioning to the wood. Mya looked at the wood, then back at Hitomi.

"I can control flame, but I don't think I can make it," Mya admitted.

"Sure you can Mya, have confidence in yourself," Letha encouraged her friend.

"Ok, here goes nothing…" Mya closed her eyes and held her hands in front of her, palms facing each other. As she concentrated and nothing happened, she sighed and dropped her hands, "I can't…"

"You have to believe and picture it in your mind, just like releasing and calling back your wings," Hitomi smiled.

Mya sided and lifted her hands again, closing her eyes she bit her lower lip and tried to focus on what she wanted to happen. They all stood there for what seemed like ages but was really just a moment or two. Mya took deep breath and exhaled slowly, a small flicker of flame appeared between her hands and at it's warmth, she opened her eyes and looked at the flame, "It's hard… to keep it… burning…" she gasped, though looking pleased at having accomplished it at all.

"Light the wood," Hitomi suggested. Mya knelled down with the flame still between her hands. She then set the flame down on top of the wood, which bursts into a roaring fire. "Great job Mya, you are learning to control your gifts already," Hitomi smiled.

"Making the flame was the hard part, controlling it is easy," Mya said as she waved her hands, as she did this, the flames danced and started becoming shapes. The flames danced into the shape of a car, then into the shape of an earth horse running, then into a dragon.

"That's so cool," Letha breathed, awed by her friends talent.

"Letha, do you know your power?" Hitomi asked the elegant blond.

"Yes, I can do things with the wind," Letha said. "When I got in bad moods the winds would always pick up when there should have been no wind at all, even indoors."

"Wind and Air," Rashel nodded, she could see Letha as the one of the wind.

"Mya, see if you can put out your flames, then we can see Letha try her power," Hitomi said.

"Ok," Mya looked at her fire and held her hands up again, palms toward each other. She then brought her hands together and the fire died in a puff of smoke, as it they had been suffocated out.

"Your turn Letha," Rashel said.

"Alright," Letha tilted her head back, closing her eyes. A strong wind blew across the mountain. The winds seemed to come to Letha and then turn vertical, blowing her long blond hair straight up. Hitomi and the others had to fight from being blown over. The wind then changed and it wasn't blowing past the others anymore, instead it was all pushing Letha up into the air. She looked down at the others as the winds held her a couple of feet above the ground, then they slowly died and set her back down gently.

"Ok, so Letha knows what she is doing," Hitomi observed.

"Mya, Letha, do either of you know how to fight?" Rashel inquired of the two girls from the Mystic Moon.

"Letha and I are taking Karate back home," Mya said with a shrug.

"But we aren't bad, we have like two belts to go before we get our black belts," Letha explained.

"What is Karate?" Rashel asked, confused.

"It's a form of martial arts, hand to hand fighting," Letha explained.

"That's better then nothing," Hitomi admitted.

"Well when we get back to the castle, I think I should teach you all basic sword play," Allen suggested as he walked over to join them, "except for Rashel, of course, who already knows how to use a sword."

"That sounds like an idea," Mya said, actually interested… Learning to use a sword might be fun.

"And two can teach the others a little of that Karate, you mentioned." Allen suggested.

"I think we can do that," Letha nodded.

"We'll all be safer if we learn to use our powers and our wings well, and if we learn to fight, we might get through all of this alive yet," Hitomi said.

"It's getting dark, we'll have to head back," Rashel noted.

"Another thing we should teach is horseback ridding," Allen laughed as the headed down towards where they had left the horses. Mya and Letha groaned.

* * *

"How did it go?" Van asked as the four girls and Allen got back. Merle was standing with him, her tail swaying from side to side.

"Well," Allen said. "At least from my viewpoint on the ground it seemed so."

"We've decided that we are going to train in the ways of fighting," Hitomi informed him.

"What?" Van blinked.

"We're going to learn basic sword play and karate," Hitomi explained.

"And some of us are going to learn horseback riding too," Mya laughed, putting her hand behind her head.

"Do you really think that is wise?" Van asked.

"Yes," Hitomi said. "If we're going to make it through this, we'll need to be able to defend ourselves."

"Alright… I will have the samurai leave the training area to you when you wish to use it," Van said.

"It will take more then that, but it's a start," Rashel said.

"Well I had your dinners put in Van's study, so go in and eat, you must be hungry," Merle said.

"Starving," Mya admitted. She and Letha followed Merle to Van's study.

"They seem to be settling down nicely, now," Hitomi smiled.

"Yes," Van agreed, hadn't been so sure they would at first, but was glad he had been wrong.

"We had better get in there before those two eat all of the food," Rashel laughed. She remember how hungry she was after her first flying lesson. She headed into the castle, heading toward Van's study.

"Van," Hitomi said.

"What is it Hitomi?" Van asked, looking over at her.

"Any word of Dilandau? I don't like this, he might be planning something big," Hitomi said, "And we still haven't found the one who ties to plants…"

"If he were to attack, you'd probably know ahead of time," Van pointed out. "Same if he got to her first."

"Yeah, I guess your right," Hitomi said, but still feeling unsure. Van put his arm around her shoulders and led her toward his study. Allen wandered off elsewhere, letting them enjoy their moment alone as long as it could last.

* * *

Hitomi found herself walking about with Rashel the next morning. Mya and Letha were sleeping in, not surprisingly, Van was tied up with business, and Merle was running some errands for him. Allen had received a letters from home from sister and a Royal one, probably asking why he hadn't returned home yet, so he was off writing responses.

"Those two are going be useless today… probably a good idea to let them rest anyway, coming to a new world is probably pretty overwhelming," Rashel mentioned.

"I know it was when I first arrived here," Hitomi smiled, and then frowned when she noticed two women coming down the hall toward them. The one in the lead was a beauty, she seemed about Hitomi's age, with fair skinned with long straight black hair coiled elegantly around her head, which she head high. Her eyes were dark, almost black seeming, but they had a hard look to them. She was dressed richly in Fanelian styled clothing, so Hitomi had no doubt she was a noble. The other woman was older, and was dressed nicely but not had the look of a maid or servant.

"…" Rashel didn't like the look of this woman already, something about her just didn't sit well with her.

"Lady Hitomi?" the beauty asked, putting on a smile that Rashel knew was fake, she hoped Hitomi could see through it as well.

"Yes," Hitomi blinked.

"I am Clarice Lural," she introduced herself, "I was at King Van's birthday celebration but we didn't get a chance to meet."

"It was a pretty crazy night," Hitomi admitted, "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Oh no, I only wished to say hello," Clarice smiled, "Come Glada," she moved on. The maid glanced at Hitomi and Rashel, bowed her head, then followed after her lady. Hitomi watched them until they were out of sight.

"I don't like that woman…" Rashel commented quietly.

"She seemed nicer then I would have expected," Hitomi replied.

"She's fake… I could see right though her," Rashel explained, "Don't trust her… that type is manipulative and scheming. They are used to getting what they want."

Hitomi smiled at her mercenary friend, "You are suspicious by nature, Rashel."

"Being suspicious keeps you alive longer, Hitomi," Rashel moved on. Hitomi sighted and hurried after her.

* * *

"Where have you been, Dameon?" a young samurai named Melo asked as Dameon brought his horse into the stable. Melo tossed his head of short, dark, curly brown hair, his soft brown eyes eyeing the older samurai.

"I went out…" Dameon replied flatly.

"To do what?" Grogi, another Fanelian samurai asked. Grogi was one of the oldest samurai left in Fanelia. Most of the other older samurai had been killed in the Zaibach attack that had burned Fanelia to the ground. Grogi had graying light brown hair and laughing green eyes.

"Stuff," Dameon replied annoyed.

"It's a woman," Grogi laughed.

"Huh?" Melo was confused by the older samurai's comment.

"It's obvious, Melo. Dameon has a dame somewhere that he has been seeing secretly," Grogi explained.

"Who is she Dameon?" Melo asked, interested.

"No one," Dameon growled.

"No one?" a clean-cut samurai commander asked. Travis was the head samurai that had escorted Hitomi to the castle. Travis had short dark brown hair and sharp blue eyes. He was being considered to be the new general of the Fanelian Claw Army, one of the youngest samurai ever to be considered for such a position. After the deaths of Balgus, Hurisen of the Claw Army, Luva of the Tusk Army, and Asona of the Horn Army, during the Zaibach attack over three years ago, Van had trouble finding suitable experienced samurai to take up the general positions. Travis was young, but loyal and able.

"Dameon has him a girlfriend and he wont spill on who," Melo explained.

"It is not proper of a samurai to be womanizing," Travis replied.

"Like you don't do it," Grogi teased. Travis was known to be popular with the women, though he rarely indulged them.

"If you numbskulls will pardon me, I have to go do something," Dameon said and he left the room. The three samurai looked after him, and then turned back to each other.

"What died in Dameon's armor?" Melo wondered aloud.

* * *

"Who is the new guy?" Marcus asked on of the other kitchen boys as they got dinner ready to serve.

The other boy shrugged, "Just a new server." Marcus frowned as he watched the man gather the tray of drinks, heading out to serve them.

* * *

In there dinning hall Hitomi smiled as Van came and sat beside her. He sighed, looking weary from whatever business he had to take care of that day. "Long day?" she asked.

"You could say that," he returned her smile and placed his hand on hers in a quick sign of affection. He removed it as servants came and set their plates and drinks down in front of them. Mya and Letha eyed the food, they had gotten up in time for lunch, and which they devoured in moments. This was the first time they ate in the hall, and were kind of looking around at the Fanelians with a mix of awe and nerves.

"Tomorrow we'll try some combat training," Rashel mentioned to the two.

"So soon?" Mya frowned, after following a mouthful of food…

"I suppose sooner the better," Letha admitted.

"We will teach you about Gaea too," Merle added, smiling.

"Guess I wont have many slow days anymore," Hitomi chuckled, life was going to get busy again. She picked up her glass and took a sip, "Mm… this is good." She hadn't had this drink before.

"They have served a good brew tonight," Allen observed.

"Rather strong in my opinion," Rashel muttered.

"They forgot mine," Merle complained. "The server was unfamiliar, maybe he's new." She stole Hitomi's and took a drink.

"Hey!" Hitomi snatched her glass back, "thieving cat." Merle stuck her tongue out at her. Van smiled, once again reminded of old times, Allen couldn't help but smile as well. They all chatted idly as they enjoied their meal, but then Hitomi grew quiet.

"Hitomi?" Van asked, he had asked her a question and she hadn't replied. She was staring blankly forward. Was she having another vision?

"Van, something's wrong…" Hitomi whispered, "I don't feel right…"

"What? Hitomi are you feeling ill…" Van jumped to his feet and Hitomi suddenly stood, then started to fall, she caught her. "Hitomi!"

"Van!" Allen stood, "Something is wrong with Merle as well!" The catgirl had slumped against the table.

Rashel growled, standing and moving to grab Hitomi's glass, she sniffed it, then sniffed Van's, "There is something off in Hitomi's glass. I think it was poisoned." By now everyone in the dinning hall was watching.

"Call the doctor!" Van demanded, a couple of servants and guards fled to search for the physician. "Who would dare do this!"

"We have to get the girls to a bed," Allen scooped up the limp catgirl, what a time for Millerna not to be here.

Van had already drawn Hitomi up into his arms bridal style. She was pale and clammy, her breathing shallow. Why did this happen? Who would dare do this vile thing? Van was feeling ill himself, but he was sick with worry and torn with despair.

Allen followed Van as he hurried out of the dinning hall with Hitomi, Merle cuddled in his arms. They took the girls to Van's own room, laying them in his large bed. Rashel and the other two girls followed, concerned and not sure what they could do to help.

Staring down at them, Van couldn't help but be reminded of the time they had had fevers at Allen's fort three years ago. He had known the cause when he found a poison plant spore on them both, and he knew the cure and was able to help them, but this time he had no idea what to do.

"Lord Van?" A servant came, with him was the castle doctor. The man came in and leaned over Lady Hitomi, Van having to move away reluctant. He was an older man, gray haired, brown eyed, with a stocky body. He lifted her eyelids and peered inside, "I was told that there might have been poison in her drink?"

"Yes," Rashel confirmed, "I am sure of it."

"Please, get everyone out," the doctor ordered. Rashel growled, but led the other two girls out, Allen stayed though.

"My lord, we wont know how to cure them without the poison…" doctor Baron explained. "I can make a guess by their symptoms, but if we give them the wrong antidote it might make things worse."

"Allen, have the kitchen staff questioned, I want to know who handled the drinks," Van snapped. Allen nodded and left. "Hitomi… Merle…" Van stared on as the doctor looked at them, he couldn't loose them.

* * *

"What's going on?" Marcus asked as servants ran around like a stirred up hive of insects.

"The Lady Hitomi and Miss Merle collapsed in the dinning hall," a serving woman explained, worry on her face.

"I over heard someone say it was poison," another man added, "In their drinks."

"What?" Marcus demanded, out of the corner of his eye he spotted the new serving man slipping out of the kitchen. Marcus hesitated, and then followed him. He caught up with him and grabbed his arm, "Hey! Where are you going? They are going to want to question everyone in the kitchen, you can't just leave!"

The man turned and sent a fist into Marcus's face, knocking him back. Marcus touched his cheek and growled, "Get lost kid."

"You aren't leaving!" Marcus grabbed him again and they ended up in a grappling match. The man proved to be strong for a serving man. He threw Marcus into the wall and sent a fist up into the boy's stomach. Marcus coughed, eyes vision dancing. He fell to the floor, then grabbed onto the man's leg, refusing to let go. The man growled and began kicking Marcus, trying to get him to release his leg.

The man suddenly stiffened, then fell to the floor. Marcus groaned and looked up to see Travis standing over them, Melo was just behind, staring. "You need to learn to fight boy, you're a mess."

"He… served the drinks… he was trying to leave…" Marcus groaned as he released the limp man's leg.

Travis sheathed his dagger, the hilt having been used to knock the man out. Melo moved over to help Marcus to his feet. "This man is to be questioned," Travis called back to some other men, "Melo see to your friend." The samurai commander waited as two guards gathered up the man, and then they left.

"You might need a doctor," Melo commented, as he looked the kitchen boy over.

"I wish I could say, 'you should see the other guy', but I think I got the worse of it," Marcus groaned.

"Not after Travis and the guard get through with him," Melo assured him, helping Marcus to his feet.

* * *

"They found the serving man who passed out the drinks," Allen informed Van as he came back into the room, "They found this on him." He held a vial of purplish liquid. He placed it in the doctors awaiting hand, then moved to look down at the girls. They seemed worse; both were sweating and were unresponsive.

"I was afraid of this," the doctor sighed, "The color, faint smell… their symptoms… this is a rare poison… I don't have an antidote for this… nor what is needed to make one."

Van felt a wave of dread, "What do we do then? What will happen?"

"Without an antidote, they have maybe three days, if we're lucky…" Baron explained.

"There has to be SOMETHING we can do," Allen growled.

"I know of one person who might have what we need," Baron admitted, "There is a herbiest woman who lives out in the forest near the wolf man village. If anyone has the rare herbs we'll need, it'd be her."

"Then write a list of what we need, and I will go myself to retrieve them," Van stated flatly.

"Very well," the doctor moved over to Van's desk, taking some parchment and quill and started writing the herbs he'd need.

"Van are you sure?" Allen asked, "I will go instead, you can stay here by their side…"

"I will see this done. I know these lands better then you," Van stated in a way that left nothing open for argument, "But I would like you to stay here with them…"

Allen looked like he wanted to protest, but then he sighed and nodded, "Nothing will happen to them, I will watch over them until you return."

Van gave his friend a thankful look. Allen always came though. He touched the older man's shoulder, and then turned to the doctor.

"I need all of these, gods be she has them all," Dr. Baron handed the young king the list. Van took the parchment and folded it carefully, tucking it into a belt pouch.

"I will go now," Van hurried from the room.

He was startled when he reached the stables, his horse was already saddled, "I was eavesdropping, I have good hearing," he turned to see Rashel finishing saddling her own steed, "I'm going with you, don't worry about me slowing you down."

Van opened his mouth then just gave a slight smile, Rashel was proving to be a good friend. He moved to his mount and swung up into the saddle, "Then let's hurry." Rashel nodded, swinging up onto NightDance's back.


End file.
